What If
by suki1916
Summary: Caroline Forbes had lots of things going for her life; a great career, a steady home life, and great friends. When her world suddenly gets turned on it's axis the same day she meets the bold and indomitable Klaus Mikaelson, she left with a choice to explore the possibility or face the inevitable. AU/AH Klaroline
1. Chapter 1

Hey all! This idea has been floating around for a while in my head and I'm just throwing this out there for feelers to see if there's any interest in it. I've primarily only written One Tree Hill fanfiction but this has been all consuming to me in my thoughts and I decided to get it out.

This is my first foray into Vampire Diaries fandom and especially the beloved Klaroline. However, I'm pretty happy with what I've written so far so if you like, give me a shout and let me know so I can keep writing. I have a few chapters written and a story outline so I'm just seeing where it takes me.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 1

"Oh."

The word dropped softly off her lips, the meaning sinking in as it slowly lost it's sound in the room. Surrounded by white walls cluttered with drawings of the human anatomy, she focused her attention on the small fish tank in the corner of the office. The doctor was talking but Caroline Forbes couldn't pull her attention from the swirls of blue and gold and orange moving along the sides of the tank.

The fish were moving, she was not. And she was just as trapped.

She swallowed hard and looked up with a bright smile.

"Caroline, I know this is a lot to take in. Are you sure you don't want to call your mother?"

Doctor Turner could not have been much older than Sheriff Forbes, Caroline's mother. She had kind eyes and a warm smile and Caroline found herself picturing her mother's face as she told her this news. The image ended up murky in her vision however and she wasn't entirely sure if it had to with her strained relationship or her lack of fully processing the news herself.

"Nope." The word was punctuated with another smile. Control was all she knew how to handle and right now, the only control she had was to not acknowledge what was happening. "So, what's next? Surgery? What are my treatment options?"

This was everything that she was good at in a nutshell. She planned. She took the reins. She needed to know the end result so that she could prepare; work on contingencies. Folding her hands over each other, she laced her fingers together and settled them over her knee. The doctor had the decency to look uncomfortable, and Caroline found comfort in that.

"We can slow it down." Doctor Turner evenly spoke, her words punctuated with a tinge of reality instead of laced with hope. "We can manage it."

"Manage." Caroline repeated, the crown of her forehead wrinkling slightly and then smoothing once the words fell into place.

Manage to her meant booking caterers and music for the grand openings she planned. It meant an outdated and antiqued file a fax that held all her important appointments and contacts. It was boards covering the walls of her office filed with color swatches and fabric samples to create the spaces she designed.

She managed her mother from the time her father had walked out on them to this very day by ordering all her meal deliveries and overseeing her online banking. It had been managing student body president, Miss Mystic Falls, and cheer captain all at once.

She had been managing her whole life, and it was what she was good at.

"The pain, the symptoms." The doctor continued her throat clearing. Caroline glanced up then, a deep breath releasing from her chest. Now, she realized, for the first time, she was going to have to be managed.

No not her, the cancer.

"Caroline."

"Right." Caroline acknowledged, her blonde curls bobbing with her head. "Can you also manage getting my parking validated?"

x-X-x

"Hi mom."

"Hey Care." She could hear her mother shuffling and could picture her in her office. "What are you up to kiddo?"

Caroline huffed, frazzled as she shoved the boxes she had in her arms into her trunk. "Just trying to get to this appointment that Stefan set up. I'm running a little late."

She could envision her mother quirking up an eyebrow.

"My appointment this morning ran long." She slid beneath the wheel of her car, her head resting with a soft thud against the head rest. It felt good to hear her mother's voice; a comfort she wasn't expecting. "Hey Mom, I was thinking I could come up in a few weeks for a long weekend. Do you think you can swing some time off work?"

"Sure honey." Her mom easily answered but Caroline could practically feel the tension feed into her mother's shoulders even from hundreds of miles away. Liz wasn't a fan of taking off work. "Everything ok?"

"Everything's great."

It wasn't technically a lie. Caroline was happy. She had an amazing business co-ran with her best friend from college. It was growing and successful and she loved it. Her love life had been in a bit of a dry spell as of late but friends and work happily filled that void. She loved the city she lived in; the historical architecture and rich city ancestry. There always seemed to be something else to do or see or learn.

"Your birthday is coming up." Caroline offered the only explanation that fit and she could feel her mother relax at her explanation. "And I hate to break it to you ma, but you're not getting any younger."

She sank into her mother's laugh. "That's for sure. You should see some of these spry young kids that come through here from other counties to train with me. They get more and more baby faced every day."

Pulling her phone from her ear, she sighed at the incoming call waiting.

"Mom, I gotta go. Stefan is beeping in."

"Sure thing. Give him my best. Love you."

The line was dead before she could even muster a response and the call swiftly went to Stefan.

"I'm on my way." Her words overpowered whatever he was in the process of saying. Shoving the key into the ignition, she started the car and made her way out of the parking lot. "I'm sorry. The morning has kind of gone to hell."

"You got all the portfolios, though right?"

Caroline grinned without permission. Her world has been turned on it's axis but the rest of the world moved right along as if the axis was still correct. Her mother was still the Sheriff; married to her work and the responsibility of the town. And Stefan still remained the focused and determined businessman intent on nothing more than growth and development.

"Yes sir." She mocked as she easily pulled into the traffic. Her tone took on a softer context. "Stefan, you worry too much."

She didn't want to consider how much he was going to worry about her with her news.

"Caroline." He breathed into the other end, and she could just imagine how pensive his face looked. "This is a huge deal. It's going to be in the heart of downtown and the historical features with that impact the financial implications alone…"

"Hey." The resolute in her voice seemed to break Stefan from his train of thought. "It's all going to work out. I promise. I'll see you soon."

X-x-X

When she was a child, Caroline had visited Charleston, South Carolina every summer. Her father had rented a small beach bungalow one street from the beach and she had grown up along the brown shorelines of Folly Beach just a few miles from a lighthouse. Summers there had been some of her happiest memories with her family.

It was a lot of things that made her choose Charleston as her home, but there was a lot of nostalgia attached to the historical town and peaceful beach. It seemed surreal now, stepping past the old Woolworth building now; empty from being a host of retail shops since the original store had closed so many years ago. She could recall coming to the lunch counter with her mother and eating greasy cheeseburgers and chocolate milkshakes. It was a building she would hope to restore to some of its former glory with this next project.

If she were being truthful, this was just exactly the project she needed right now as a distraction. It would take months to complete if not longer and the smallest of details and the massive amount of research that it would take would cloud her mind from recent news she had been given. Stealing once last glance at the building, more determined than ever to get the contract she hurried down King Street, her heels clicking along the brick pavement of the road.

The gallery she stepped into was open and modern, the light from the overhead sun streaming into through a series of sky lights. There was one floor laid with what looked like original wood planks and a loft towards the back of the narrow building that housed more art works. In the center of the room, a center piece sculpture of a small child surrounded by birds and flowers grabbed Caroline's attention immediately.

Circling around it, she took note of the detail in the various flowers and the placement of the birds; the tranquility on the face of the little girl trapped in stone. The gallery was empty and glancing at her watch she was pleased to see that she was at least 20 minutes early for her meeting. The paintings along the far wall were all modern or abstract and not particularly her taste as but she could appreciate the beauty and the effort as she climbed the suspended stairs up to the loft. Here, she found a piece much more her taste; a collection of soft hues and lovely landscapes.

Setting her briefcase down, she took the small steps towards the painting in the corner to her right. It was the clear centerpiece of the collection in her opinion, but it was off center and not framed with light as it should have been. She had never been out the country, but the scenery before her had her imaging Italy or France. Not being able to place the point of view, she was able to focus her attention on the details of the vineyard; the various shades in the grapes and rogue weeds traversing the ground, the sun rising across the horizon in various shades of gold and blush and orange. She particularly was fond of the purple iris that hugged the edge of the vineyard.

"What are your thoughts, love?"

Caroline spun away from the tranquility of the painting and turned to face the voice attached to the question. She was startled both by his sudden appearance and if she were honest just how attractive he was. Two distinct dimples formed around his grin and his eyes shone with was she attributed to mischief. He was dressed in dark blue jeans and a coordinating dark Henley that matched just one of the many shades of blue in his eyes. There were paint spatters across both articles of clothes and even flecks speckled throughout his light blond curls.

"Well I'm no expert." She sighed, pulling her attention away from him and back to the painting. He came up behind her a moment later the fabric of his shirt just grazing the back of her dress. She expected him to school her then; a clear artist who had already formed an opinion.

"Enlighten me." He teased instead, his breath fanning across her neck before stepping to the side of her and bending down to read the small plaque on the wall.

"Son Espoir." Caroline recited in perfect French as he smirked and erected himself upright. "It means,"

"His Hope" they both finished together. The dimples made a reappearance as did a quirk of his eyebrow for her to continue. He was impressed she knew French. When she hesitated, he prompted her once more. "You don't agree."

"It's not my painting."

"What is art, if not the observers interpretation?" he prodded further. "Tell me sweetheart, what does this bring out of you?"

She gently rolled her eyes at his flirt. "I think at first glance it's very practical."

"Practically is not a favorite in your book?"

She grinned tilting her head gently towards him. "Let me finish." She admonished playfully. She brought his attention to the corner of the painting. "I think you look at this and think of something practical; like a vacation or a honeymoon. Maybe this where he lives and it's the view from his bedroom. But like a lot of things, just because it's practical doesn't mean it's not hopeful."

"Well now I find I am intrigued. Elaborate further on that if would be so kind."

"Just look at the sun. It's a sunrise; not a sunset. The day, the world is just beginning. Every day is a fresh start full of life and hope and a second chance." His eyes stayed riveted as her fingers deftly moved down the side of the painting as he watched her outline the irises painted on the canvas. There was a small knowing smile gracing her face as she spoke next. "Irises. Did you know that all flowers have a symbolic meaning? Friendship, affection, love, loathing…" she kinked up her eyebrow has her grin grew. "Irises; they mean hope."

He softly pulled her wrist down from where she was pointing. His touch shrank away from her much too soon as her arm fell against her side. He continued, a gleam she couldn't place in his eye. "Tell me more love, this union of practically with hope."

"Ah." She pursed her lips together, her hands wishing she had something to grip onto; like her briefcase or reality. Blowing out through her nose she braced herself and turned to face the charming man next to her. "Well, for instance, I am about to interview for a job. Practically, I know I can get this job. I have the background and the expertise and the experience. I've poured over every detail for weeks to ensure I'm prepared for it." He was beginning to enjoy the small sighs that she released once she stopped rambling for a moment. There was a quiet softness to her features as she looked at him again. "But hopefully, I will get the job. There's room for both."

"And what exactly is the job?" he inquired twisting his body to lean against the open railing of the loft and granting himself a better view of the beautiful woman in front of him. "Art critic?"

He found her laugh infectious. "Of course not." Her head shook still with a small laughter. "The old Woolworth building on King? The owner of this gallery wants to reopen it into a restaurant."

"You like this idea." He deduced from the vibrance in her voice and the color in her cheeks. "Tell me, what intrigues you about this?"

Caroline had no idea what she had spent the better part of the last ten minutes indulging the handsome stranger. Without permission, her mind flickered to her morning and news that accompanied her all day. There was a visceral part of her that wanted to acknowledge the fact that with a very finite ending in front of her, she throw all caution to the wind. Flirt with the delicious man in front of her, abandon the time-consuming job ahead of her, take the leap for something more.

"I have very fond memories of going there as a child." She finally settled on her answer somewhat grounded in truth instead of the multitude of other answers; the history, the research, the distraction. It was a punch in her gut at the realization that she may not even see the final result. "It would be wonderful to see it restored to a structure of integrity; somewhere new families can make memories."

"I'm Nik." He extended his hand out to Caroline, and she ignored the charcoal on his fingers as they transferred to her own hand once he took hers. His grip was strong but there was a softness not just in the touch but in the feeling. She had expected such an artist to have more calloused and rough hands. His thumb lingered a moment too long over hers before he pulled away. Seeing the mess he left on her porcelain skin, he grimaced pulling out a handkerchief from his back pocket. Her mouth popped slightly open as he stuck the small garment in his mouth, his tongue wetting it before it connected with the skin on her hand. The intimacy of the move stuck her; she couldn't remember a time she was last this close with someone. "You'll have to forgive me…"

"Caroline." She finished for him, her hand still heavy in his as he removed the last bit of charcoal from her skin. His fingers traced along the lines of her palm as his other hand ghosted the underside of the hand he had possession of. "Are you a palm reader Nik?"

"As a matter of fact," he grinned, a crooked smile forming along his features as he finally removed his touch from her. He liked the way she said his name. "I am. I see a bright future for you. You may even get this job today." He threw his hands up in the air dramatically. "It's all very muddled though. The owner of this gallery can be fickle and temperamental."

She giggled. "Trust me, after my morning, I can handle just about anyone. Besides, anyone who can paint a picture like that, can't be that hard to handle." She pointed to their recent study beside him.

"And if he doesn't give you the job?" he asked after a few brief moments of silence. He found himself wanting her to keep talking.

"You venture a lot of questions Nik." she playfully admonished giving him a genuine grin. "If I don't get the job, that will be okay. I'll get the next one."

"Because you're practical." He reasoned and watched as another slow smile formed on her features. She winked at him as she answered him.

"No, because I'm hopeful."

"Caroline! There you are." Caroline turned her attention away from her companion to see Stefan nearing the top of the steps with a studious gentleman dressed in a smart suit right behind him. His tracks slowed considerably seeing she wasn't alone. He acknowledged the gentleman quickly but striding up to him and reaching out his hand. "Klaus, it's good to see you. I see you've met Caroline."

Klaus held his hands up in show. "Sorry mate, don't want to get you sodded up." He dared to turn his attention to dumbfounded Caroline next to him. Her mouth had dropped into an adorable 'o' shape. "Yes, I have been getting acquainted with lovely Caroline."

"Elijah." The quiet man in the suit behind Stefan made his presence known by reaching his hand out to Caroline and clasping it around hers. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Forbes. I've heard so much about you from Stefan and I greatly admired your work at the Francis Marion."

Finally, Caroline reacted and heartily shook Elijah's hand. "Yes of course, thank you. It's Caroline, please. It's so great to meet you as well. I've done quite a few parties in your restaurant on Meeting Street."

There were a few more pleasantries exchanged between the men but Caroline was having a hard time focusing on anything they were saying. Her gaze locked with Klaus's (or was it Nik?), her brow kinking in the middle of her forehead in both confusion and mild fury at the situation. She could clearly read the amusement dancing across his features as the development. This was certainly a day of surprises, and if she thought she had been walloped by the bomb this morning, she was absolutely stuck down by the fact that she had carried on critiquing a potential clients artwork for the better part of twenty minutes. Somehow the latter seemed far worse in comparison.

"Well, shall we get started?"

"Actually Stefan," Klaus stepped away easily from the railing, gliding slowly past Caroline his gaze never leaving hers. "I've got to take off I'm afraid. I'm confident with the job in your capable hands." He pulled Caroline's hand from her side and brought it to his lips, softly landing a kiss on her knuckles. "And of course, yours love. This has been a pleasure. I am certainly enlightened."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for tuning in and for all the lovely comments. Enjoy the next installment and leave me some love!**

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"Enlightened?!"

Klaus smirked as he continued his journey down the back-door stairs of the gallery into the alleyway. He could feel the steps shaking from the force of the blonde charging behind him but he kept his steady pace until he reached the bottom. Turning around to face her, she nearly collided with him but she gripped the railings next to her fiercely, her knuckles turning white in protest.

"Hello love." He greeted sweetly, his head cocking slightly to the side. The fury marring her soft features was a sight he surprising enjoyed.

"Seriously?!" she screeched once more and he mockingly winced. "You knew the whole time who I was and you allowed me to go on and on…"

"I rather enjoyed you prattle, sweetheart." He twirled his finger around and away from them in show. He made a point of joining the step directly below her so that he was standing face to face with her. "All that research and you didn't research your audience."

"That's so not the point!" she argued her words echoing off the brick alley way walls. "You could be Wylie Freaking Coyote for all I care. You shouldn't have been duplicitous."

"Well how must I acquit myself then?" he offered her a genuine smile, his dimples cutting into his cheeks as she crossed her arms in defiance.

After a moment, the anger dissipated into a soft echo of giggles. She pushed her hair away from her face and sighed. "I did actually research you, you know." She plopped her hands on her sides and rolled her eyes. "I just never research what potential clients look like."

He quirked an eyebrow up for an explanation.

"It makes me nervous ok!" she exacerbated dramatically throwing her hands up. "I just imagine them as something different until I meet them."

"Afraid of picturing me in my underwear, eh?" he teased, their bodies still close enough that any movement would bring touch. "What do you picture exactly?"

"No." she shook her head, easily sliding by him down to the landing of the stairs. He had already pulled too many things out of her today. "I'm onto you Klaus. No more divulging from me except for my opinion on fabric and materials."

A very obvious pout rested on his lips. "I much rather you call me Nik."

"Well now that you have displayed your true deceptive colors, I'll settle on Klaus for now." She insisted. He could sense a small amount of anger within her still, maybe from the small embarrassment but mostly she seemed right back at ease with him as she had been in the loft upstairs. "It's _practical_."

"I'm rather fond of Nik falling from your lips, so I'll hold onto the _hope_ that you return to it." He smirked wagging his eyebrows in a flirt and she rolled her eyes. "Can I take you for some coffee?"

"Coffee?"

"Yes, well I much prefer tea but, America and all." He allowed a perfect southern accent as he spoke the last three words mockingly.

His face showed an expression that told her he wasn't often told no. She gulped. This beautiful man in front of her was showing interest and seemingly for more than her looks based on their earlier conversation. But he was also about to be a client and it was a strict rule of Caroline's to never mix any kind of business with personal matters. She reflected back onto her morning and the diagnosis that had tilted her perfect world off balance. Wanting to let go and just live, she longed to say yes to him.

"The practical in me says I have a lot of work to do." She dazzled him with a smile as she slowly retreated back up the stairs. Something held her back from saying yes. He visible slumped his shoulders and shrugged.

"Oh Caroline, you wound me. I only get hopeful about once every five years." He sung out after her, his dimples in full show and his eyes shining bright. "This was my one time to shine."

Chuckling to herself, she gave him one last glance before she latched on the door and opened it up. "I look forward to working with you _Klaus_."

X-x-X

Klaus easily strolled into the bustling café, picking a booth in the back and sliding against the faux leather. His thoughts wandered once again to the lovely woman who bantered with him earlier and he had to smirk at the thought of engaging her more in a battle of wits as they continued to work together. There was something wholly and honest about her; everything from how she presented herself (very smartly dressed) to the earnest behind every word that dropped from her mouth that was a breath of fresh air.

He hadn't exactly been thrilled at the move to Charleston the year prior. Chicago was much more his speed and the luxury of travel that his job afforded him took him all over the country. He had enjoyed his life filled with gallery openings and various plays and a host of museums at his fingertips. Now, however he found that he enjoyed the quiet of the historical town. Leaving his fast-paced life behind, he felt a certain pride in being able to run and own a gallery that was all his; blood, sweat and tears. It was just what he needed at this junction in his life.

"Brother." Klaus glanced up from his menu as his younger brother slipped into the booth across from him. Kol was only a few years his junior, but Klaus had always feel more kindred with him than the lot of the rest of his brothers. He was mischievous and impish, and it was a remarkable shock that he was excelling so well in medical school. "Kill anyone today?"

Kol scowled across the table, yanking the menu from Klaus's hand. "Just your sense of humor, you wanker."

"Niklaus." Elijah greeted him next unbuttoning his suit jacket and taking a seat next to Kol. "That was quite the performance today."

"I did take that semester of drama at university." Klaus quipped bringing his coffee mug up to his lips. Elijah would forever be as serious as war, and Klaus took tremendous joy from egging him on at every opportunity. He had lost contact with him for several years due to a falling out but had reluctantly and gratefully reconnected with him when he had relocated to Charleston.

"What happened?" Kol shifted his eyes between his two brothers. Elijah displayed the smallest of smirks. "Oh sod off. Tell me!"

"You have the patience of a puppy." Klaus grumbled giving Elijah a warning glance to which he did not heed. His brother could really stick it to him sometimes.

"It seems our esteemed brother has met his match today." Elijah provided much to the glee of Kol. "She certainly had no qualms about chasing you down and giving you the earful you deserved."

"Nik got told off by a woman?" Kol clarified. Klaus's tense jaw gave him all the confirmation he needed. "Sounds about par for the course."

"You don't even know what happened 'Lijah."

He narrowed his eyes at Klaus. "I know you. Whatever it was, it was probably underhanded and shifty."

"I thought that was more your speed-"

"Whoa." Kol interrupted what he assumed would quickly fall into a battle of words and eventual punches. "Ladies really dig the scrubs and I won't have the lot of you mucking things up for me by catching an elbow to the face."

"We're signing the contracts on Friday." Elijah continued after a beat. "As an investor, your presence is required."

Klaus nodded, conceding with a mischievous grin. "Of course. I look forward to sparring once again with Miss Forbes."

"You will not ruin this." Elijah warned, his mug hitting decidedly against the table, an echo of his tone. "This will offer us a permanence here. We've never had that."

"Lighten up, the lot of you." Kol retorted breaking the uneasy tension between the brothers. He leaned across the table to Klaus. "Now, Nik, tell me more about this Caroline. She sounds delicious."

"Kol, you're familiar with human anatomy correct?" Klaus poured more sugar into his coffee and stirred it looking up at Kol. "One more word, and you'll be without a liver. How would that bode for your mortality?"

X-x-X

Slipping off her heels, Caroline slid easily across the arm of the leather chair and sank into the cool material. Pulling her bottle beer to her lips, she let out a reluctant breath before taking a sip. The day had been a long and strenuous. She grinned as her husky, Colby came lopping into the room resting his head on her lap for attention. She gently stroked his white and grey fur as his head rolled around with the attention.

"Hey buddy." She whispered as his bright blue eyes stared back up at her. "What am I gonna do with you when I'm gone?" he answered by shoving his head further into her lap, his drool smearing across her floral dress. "I guess Uncle Stefan is going to take up godfather duties."

"What do I hear about Uncle Stefan?"

Caroline smiled as Stefan came into her living room giving the unnecessary but obligatory knock to alert her of his presence. Colby bolted to him, his paws sliding on the hardwood floors before he fell to his side and exposed his belly for Stefan to pet. He put the six pack of beer in his hand on the table next to the door before falling on the floor to devote all his attention to the spoiled wolf at his feet.

"He's putty in your hands."

"He's a big marshmallow." He countered finally getting up and taking a seat on the sofa adjacent to Caroline's chair. He reached out grabbing her foot that was still dangling off the side. "So, are we going to talk about today?"

For a moment, it was all Caroline could do to keep breathing. She couldn't fathom how he could have possibly found out about her appointment. They had been business partners for years and friends for a nearly twice that and he practically knew everything about her. But this, this weight she was now forced to carry was not something she could burden him with. Not yet. It took her a few more moments and Stefan's wiggling of her foot to realize that he was referencing to their disastrous client meeting. She could only imagine what that looked like from his perspective.

"I'm happy we landed the client but Caroline, you chased after him and yelled at him. Elijah and I heard it all the way in the loft."

"We met under false pretenses." She offered shrugging her shoulders lightly as Colby hopped up on the couch and snuggled next to Stefan. "I thought he was an artist."

Stefan laughed softly. "Care, he is an artist. And the owner. And an entrepreneur."

Caroline waved her hands dismissively. "Yeah, I get it. He's a big deal." She narrowed her eyes at him. "How do you know him? You seemed awfully chummy with him."

"My semester abroad." He supplied, the bottle in his hand coming up to his lips. "We met in Amsterdam."

"How romantic." She quipped as he threw a pillow at her.

She studied his serious expression as he reached the remote on the coffee table and started flicking through the channels. There were often times she was able to pull him out of his brooding to actually laugh and enjoy himself but his brain constantly stayed on and running. She had met him during her freshman year of college; him a sophomore who took her under his wing to direct her through the often lonely and scary college transition. They discovered a shared love of Queen and mac & cheese and when he started his architecture and restoration business, Caroline's degree of design and historical art was a natural fit between the two.

Their business has been slow to start once they relocated to Charleston, but with a few small successful projects and a side addition to party planning they found themselves hiring more help and partnering up with a small catering company. They had been in Charleston for a few years now building a reputation and a name for themselves and honestly it was the best life Caroline could have ever envisioned for herself.

"So, when do we start?" She ventured after a few moments of comfortable silence. This was by far the most expansive project they had ever taken apart of. Again, the nagging and practical part of her brain wasn't sure if she would even make it to end. She hoped she would.

"Well, after you so abruptly left-"

"I made nice with Elijah before I did!"

"Yes." Stefan rolled his eyes before continuing. "He thought you were lovely by the way. He enjoyed you putting his brother in his place." It was Caroline's turn to roll her eyes. "Luckily with the inside track, I've already been researching and had most of the blueprint mock ups made. We can sign the contracts on Friday and hopefully start the project Monday. This is the perfect time for this. We just finished up the inn at the Battery and the lofts on King."

"We should celebrate on Friday!" Caroline exclaimed excitedly startling a dozing Colby next to Stefan. The dog grunted and slipped off the sofa, trotting into Caroline's bedroom in protest. She gave Stefan a pointed look. "He's clearly been around you for far too long."

"No one is forcing you to live with me Princess." He smirked as her reached over and handed her another beer. She gave him a grateful smile as she accepted the cold refreshment in her hand.

She loved living with Stefan. They had for the better part of the last 8 years lived together in some form or capacity. At one time she had thought that their relationship might have become strained with both the personal and business co-mingling and saturating their lives, but it seemed to solidify and strengthen their bond as the years went on. She couldn't imagine a better or more trustworthy best friend. Fighting tears back, she knew that as the months went on, and her prognosis worsened it would be difficult to keep this from him.

"Tell me more about Klaus." She prompted desperate to shake her thoughts from anything other than her morning. He easily responded with an all-knowing grin. "And Elijah. What's their story?" she quickly added to help cover up her fascination with the sexy artist she entertained earlier.

"They're brothers; a part of a large family actually. Their younger sister studies at the College of Charleston and they have a younger brother that is an intern at the Medical University. Elijah has been investing and 'flipping' restaurants for several years and up until about 2 years ago Klaus was a marketing head hunter. I'm not sure what made him flip over to more conservative work." Stefan paused, his brows furrowing. "Honestly, I think this is the first time the family has all been together like this in years."

"This project is important to them." She guessed from Stefan's serious expression. "Elijah mentioned they want to settle into Charleston more permanently."

"Appears so." He shrugged his shoulders and then gave her a pointed look. "So, try your best to not be Carezilla and scare them off. Then I'll never forgive you and banish you away and I will have to find both a new best friend and business partner."

"Don't forget general pain in your ass." She quipped falling into a fit of giggles. Without thought, the next words out of her mouth fell and hit her like a truck. "You would be lost without me."

"Officially," he started his grin widening. Caroline tucked herself further into the chair, allowing her long blonde locks to block her face and shield him from seeing the tears welling up in her eyes. "My stance is that everyone is replaceable and that we all turn to space dust at the end of it all anyway. Unofficially however, there's no way I would be able to muddle through any of this without you."

She refused to meet his eyes and forced a snort to help bridge a response. Thankfully, she was saved by Colby demanding her attention to be let outside for a walk. Quickly she scooped up his leash and snipped it to his collar before rushing out into the warm spring air. She permitted herself a moment once she was two blocks from their house to completely let the magnitude of her morning to infiltrate her entire being. This was it, she reasoned. It was all she was allowed.

Her entire life filtered through her thoughts from her childhood to her rebellious teenage years to her time away at college. It was a montage of mostly precision and care; a trope to ensure perfection. She thought of her last heartbreak and the rebuilding of herself and her business up until that very morning in her doctor's office. Without permission, her easy flirting as she bantered with Klaus even crossed her mind. It was the most impulsive she had been in years. Swallowing back a sob, she knew that opportunities to do it again would become less and less. Time was not her ally.

She had cancer.

She wasn't just dying she realized.

She wasn't even living yet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey all! I appreciate the feedback and reviews. It helps me stay motivated. I have the next 3 (!) chapters written and ready to go so please consider leaving me some more love! Thanks!**

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Chpt 3

Caroline stepped easily out onto the sidewalk, the summer heat fanning across her face. Even though it was late August, the humidity of the peak of the Charleston summer was especially bearing down. Thinking about the upcoming project, she grinned envisioning the day when the awning above her would be restored back to its original glory. She had had a few days to regroup and she found herself more than ready to embrace whatever path life was going to throw at her. Or at least try.

She had spent her morning gathering last minute preparations for the restaurant, Colby languidly stretching across her crossed legs on the floor. The husky seemed unfazed by the stacks of books surrounding them or the weight heavy in his owner's heart. Caroline was determined to get the historical accuracy perfect in the details. She wasn't ignoring the fact that it was giving her brain a much need reprieve from the multitude of decisions she had to make regarding her life. She just hoped the signing of the contracts would go off without a hitch.

"Caroline." She spun around, her mid length skirt flowing around her legs as she faced an approaching Klaus.

"Oh, so you do, in fact know my name." she playfully scoffed as he offered up a grin, adjusting the scarf she wore as a headband. "You're late."

He shrugged, his hands deep in his pockets. "Just trying to keep you on your toes, love." He held open the door from her and gestured for her to go inside. "Shall we?"

"Elijah seems very annoyed with you." She informed him, a step ahead of him as to not allow his hand to reach the small of her back. They stopped their short trek into the empty building and she turned to face him. He wore a mask of amusement, his hands shoved deep in his slacks as he took in the space around them.

"It's better if 'Lijah and I firmly keep the balance of me being slightly disappointing and recklessly irresponsible as he carries on with reluctant disapproval." He stopped his self-guided tour of the building, edging closer to her with each step before looking at her directly. "We've certainly mastered our roles. Wouldn't want to cause a fright by switching up the dynamic now."

"What do you think of the space?"

"It looks like a retail wasteland."

Tilting her head slightly, she grinned, a sparkle in her eyes. Taking him by surprise, she grabbed his hand and pulled him to the center of the store. "But it won't when we're though with it." He watched of wonderment and determination flickered across her eyes. Turned her body she faced him with an easy smile.

"Enlighten me." He prodded playfully, coming off as more of a dare to Caroline.

"Would you allow me? I have an idea." He gave her a bemused expression as he tugged at his tie and after a moment he released a nod. With deft hands, she unknotted the tie and slipped it through his collar. Gently she placed it over his eyes tightening the knot in the back from in front of his body. "Can you see me?"

"I had no idea you were into this sort of play, love."

"Seriously? You don't ever give up do you?" she snorted, moving to stand beside him. He could picture very clearly what her irritated expression likely was at that moment. Her hand gripped the top of his arm, her fingers deftly circling around the muscle. "I'm disappointed in you Klaus; as an artist I expected more imagination and adventure."

"I'll have you know I'm an excellent sport in both." He retorted with a devilish grin. "I'll participate with in any host of activities you have in mind."

"You're so charming" she scoffed but allowed the chuckle to fall from her lips all the same. She peered at him thoughtfully. "I have this game I like to play. It's gets my creative juices flowing and I want to play it with you."

"Caroline." His voice was suggestive as his face lit up with another grin. "You-"

"I swear to you, if you finish that sentence I will march you right to the stairs and throw you over." She admonished, his fingers squeezing him in a way that he couldn't quite decipher. It didn't seem threatening with the timing of her words but more of an anchor. He felt the intake of her breathe and the exhale fan across his neck as she leaned towards him. Her voice was light as she spoke. "What if, on the left side, we have a bank of booths. They'll be tall, going about half way up the wall. I think that it will offer a real sense of intimacy. I'm thinking maybe mahogany or cherry; something rich and inviting."

She settled in closer to him as she watched his lips twitch in amusement.

"What if, on the right, we have the infamous lunch counter. I have a company that can replicate the stools exactly…"

Klaus found himself immersed in the passion and pride she exuded as she continued painting her vison for him. She had it all envisioned; from the crisp white shirts and long waist aprons of the wait staff to the candle lit ambiance of the restaurant. As she spoke, he could see the pristine tile floor and the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling as he himself hung on every word that she supplied. The more animated she got, the closer she sunk into him, her arm continuing to wrap before eventually she was using her other arm to grip him as well.

"And here," she breathed and Klaus could hear the smile on her face. He itched to take of the blindfold to watch her but he found that he enjoyed the touch of her against him and the smell of the honey on her skin as it invaded his senses. "A grand piano. What if, you were eating brunch and drinking mimosas and listening to the sounds of Gershwin."

Suddenly her touch was removed from his arm. Before he could register the lack of warmth he felt her close enough in front of him that he momentarily forgot to breathe. Her fingers skimmed through the curls in his hair as she pulled the tie agonizing slowly off of his eyes. There was a light shining in them as she looked up at him expectantly, a small smile tugging at her lips. She reached for his hand with both of hers, palms covering and pulled him towards the front window.

"This part is for you." She took a step away from him into the floor to ceiling windows, the people bustling along the street behind her barely registering in Klaus's mind. Dramatically she held her arms out stretched across the space. "We showcase your art in the window. I mean, not exactly your art, maybe a local artist that you want to present…" she grimaced sheepishly at his displayed smirk. "I'm rambling and you know what I mean."

"I think it means you enjoyed the art show the other day."

She bit her lip as her cheeks flushed. "I had no idea I was talking about your work. I'm sorry if I offended-"

"Nonsense." He waved his hand and took a step closer to her. "What is art if not someone's interpretation? I enjoyed listening to yours."

He didn't think her smile could get bigger but it grew as she took his hand once more. She led them toward a winding staircase that carried them down to the lower floor. Her free hand traced over the railing as she began to speak again. "We'll restore this totally. Ornate wrought iron with porcelain and crystal accents, which leads us directly into the bar."

"Shall we get the blindfold back out sweetheart?" he quirked up an eyebrow as she reluctantly let go of his grasp and glided to the center of the empty room. Her expression was of annoyance and he thought he caught her roll her eyes. He ventured a different approach. "I didn't realize Elijah was planning for a bar, too."

"Come here." She beckoned softly, turning his torso once he made his way to her. She stood right behind him, her breath fluttering across his neck as she spoke. "I was thinking a very speakeasy feel. Bar, jazz music, dancing…"

She squealed as he suddenly turned and had her swept up in his arms. "Sorry, love. Artist." He shrugged as he glided her across the dusty floor, their beating hearts the only rhythm their steps were conjoined with. "I live in expression and visualization."

He twirled her around once before drawing her back into his embrace, her curls falling loosely from her updo.

"I find the 1920s fascinating." He dipped his face into the depth of her shoulder, his voice a low whisper. "The girls were reckless, sexy, fun. They literally used to dance until they dropped."

"That, but also," There was a slight huff in annoyance on her part but she didn't pull away from him. She found herself at ease even as his fingertips wove around hers in one hand and splayed across her hip with the other. She looked at him pointedly after swallowing a gulp down to gain her bearings, the heat of his palm searing through the thin fabric of her dress. "It was a time when people were so alive. We just won a world war, women could vote. It was dangerous with Prohibition but also entertaining with the music and intrigue."

"And right now," he questioned, their focus on their hands as he laced his fingers with hers tightly and flushed her body against his. "Is this a time when you feel alive?"

"Caroline?"

Caroline jerked away as she heard her name called. She swallowed hard as she watched Klaus decidedly turn rigid from their interruption; or maybe her sudden departure from his touch. It was easy to find herself in a bubble with him with the way he spoke as if he were speaking in promises and hushed secrets. She hadn't quite decided what to do with their connection, albeit brief, but she was beginning to think that he may be just too much of a distraction. What she didn't really want to admit was how she didn't want to start something she knew she would never finish.

"Stefan, Elijah, hey." Caroline moved towards the stairs just as the two men reached the bottom step. "I was just showing Klaus the bar area."

"What do you think Nik?" Elijah asked, his hand smoothing over his tie. "I thought this area would especially appeal to you."

"Of that I have no doubt." Klaus responded tersely. Caroline furrowed her brow at the exchange. The tone in Elijah's voice was seemed more passive aggressive than necessary. After a beat, Klaus had recovered and continued on. "Well, what do you say we get the ball rolling?"

Stefan was quick to responded, holding up the blueprints in his hands and leading them back upstairs. Caroline resisted the urge to charge first needing not only a moment to regain her bearings but to ensure some distance between her and Klaus. She couldn't justify getting involved with someone who had no business getting involved with her given her current state of affairs.

She spent most of the time listening to Stefan and Elijah talk semantics, with small interruptions and questions from Klaus. She interjected at the appropriate times and when she wasn't speaking about what her role would be, she was desperately trying to distract herself from any look that Klaus was throwing her way. Her willpower was waning thin. After over an hour of discussion, they determined it would be four-month project with a grand opening on New Years Eve.

In her heart, she knew she would never see that new year.

X-x-X

"I think today went pretty well."

Caroline grinned at Stefan as they walked from the parking garage out into the nighttime heat. Looping her arm through his, they made their way through the throngs of people out for the Charleston night life. Their day had gone surprising well and despite the secret weighting heavy on her, she was grateful more than ever that she had Stefan in her life and how much she knew she would need him more and more in the coming months.

She had ignored three phone calls from her doctor and four text messages from her mother already this week. Choosing to deflect rather than accept (her unofficial life moto), she didn't have an answer for her doctor and she couldn't lie to her mother on top of everything else she was balancing to keep intact. It left her unbalanced; she was a naturally honest person who loved to make decisions and plan out her life. Not only was she keeping a tremendous secret, but she didn't know what she would do. Or if she even had a choice.

"You're okay right Care?" Stefan peered down at her, his brow furrowing. "You've seemed a little off this week."

"Totally." Caroline quipped, nodding her head. She gulped down the lump in her throat. This was a man who had made midnight runs for soup and cramp medicine and held her hair as she threw up. He had driven her to the beach to spread her father's ashes and got her through the heartache of a first love. She squeezed him tighter and gave him a tight smile. "It's just a big project. But it's gonna be great."

"Hell yes, it is." He exclaimed as she laughed at his exuberance. "You're cool with Klaus and Elijah coming out with us tonight?"

"Of course." Caroline responded after a beat. "They're gonna be a big part of our lives for the next few months. It'll be good to get to know them."

He quirked up an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Seems to me that you've been getting to know Klaus just fine."

She shoved him playfully. "Oh, come on! You're just jealous that we're the fun ones out of the group."

"You like him?"

"Seriously?" Caroline tone was incredulous as pulled away from him in protest but sputtered on her answer. "I don't even know him. We even argued when we first met."

Stefan shrugged with a smirk and secured her back into his embrace. "It's okay Caroline. If you like him, I mean. He's very…suave."

"Suave? That's the word we're going with?" Caroline laughed and shook her head. "What happened to not mixing business with personal? Remember when the city planner asked me out and you lost your mind."

"I remember that the guy was a douche who was notorious for being a dog." Stefan clarified with a pointed look. "Caroline, you haven't dated in a while. You're smart and funny and attractive as hell. Clearly you have a thing for Klaus, whatever it is. Just go for it. What do you have to lose?"

She opened her mouth but there was no response. Not willing to spill her secret she didn't have a logical justification as to why she couldn't pursue something with Klaus; if that was even an option. They had shared some banter and flirtation but she wasn't totally sure it wasn't something he always did with the opposite sex. Sensibly though, she didn't have any real excuse not to other than her diagnosis and if she were honest it felt like that was more of a reason to actually go for it.

"That's fair." she settled on that response and gestured ahead of them. "Speaking of…Klaus, Elijah!"

Caroline tucked her loose curls behind her ears as they meet the brothers on the sidewalk in front of the club they were heading to. Klaus's expression was of curious mischief as he strolled towards them with dark jeans and an even darker button up shirt. It was a stark contrast to the white floral print dress she had aptly chosen for the nights festivities. She rolled her eyes once they reached one another and Klaus winked at her.

"Hi Elijah. Klaus." Caroline greeted, Klaus's name dripping with a tinge of bitterness from her lips. It was the best she could muster up to keep herself from getting flustered. "Glad you guys could come out tonight."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, sweetheart." Klaus beamed mischievously.

"Shall we?" Elijah cleared his throat and motioned for the door as Klaus grabbed it to allow them to filter into the club.

She tried to ignore the heat of his hand as it ghosted the small of her back, but she was reminded of the softness of his skin against her the day of the gallery and earlier in his arms and it was hard to want to. When she had recommended celebrating, she hadn't thought of Stefan inviting the Mikaelsons out with them as well. It was inevitable regardless; the project would be massive and it would take a lot of working together to get it accomplished. She may as well get used to his annoying and unnerving presence.

The club was crowded and between the heat of the night air and warm bodies dancing around them, it was hard not to find herself pressed against his torso as they moved through the dancefloor. She moved ahead of him to guide and easily slipped her hand into his. Half way across he tugged her arm, spinning her around the meet alongside him. She only thought briefly of protesting before acquiescing her body against his, too caught up in the movements.

One of his hands landed on her hip, the silk of her dress sliding easily across the palm of his hand. The other found his way to her neck, her curls threading through his fingers as he pulled her closer. He was pleasantly surprised that she allowed herself to dip further into the embrace and began to move rhythmically in tune with him. He had never been one for dancing, but he couldn't deny the desire to have her within his grasp.

"Come with me." He murmured against her ear, the slight stubble on his face rubbing against her skin. It was a command she realized, but it seemed almost like a promise. He laced their fingers together as he pulled her up the stairs of the club and towards the back. After a few minutes of working their way through the crowds he finally pushed open a door and pulled her with him onto the roof.

"Wow." The view was break taking as she took smalls steps to the edge, her fingers gently letting him go. The bridge across the Cooper River took up most of her vision. In front of it was the small but impactful and historical landscape of the city she had grown to call home. Steeples speckled the skyline of brick and colorful buildings. She had never quite seen the city from this perspective. Turning slightly, she turned back to Klaus who was a short distance away from her. "This is incredible. How did you know about this?"

He took a few small strides landing right next to her without touching. He didn't look at her as he spoke. "Marcel, the owner is a bit of a friend of mine. I particularly was fond of the view when I helped him pick out the property."

After a few moments of silence, she decided to speak. "Klaus,"

"I think Nik it far more inviting, sweetheart." He smiled, his dimples etching into his cheeks as he turned towards her. He sighed, feeling the weight of her tension rolling off of her in waves. "Caroline."

Continuing to take in the view ahead of her, she couldn't bring herself to look at him. Timing had never been her strong suit when it came to relationships and now she felt there were just too many cards stacked against them. She didn't know him; but she knew that he encouraged her to be heard and that in a week of her world crashing around her he seemed to be the calm at sea.

"I don't know what I'm doing." She admitted softly.

"Taking a chance, I hope."

"I don't even know you-"

"What if you can trust me for just a spot more?" he interrupted her, an amused taunting gracing his features as he turned his body towards her.

"Using my game against me? Awfully clever of you." Furrowing her brow she sighed in resignation. He grabbed her hand once more and she followed as he led her back into the club. Pulling her with him to the bar, he took a seat on a stool and signaled for the bartender.

"Pick your poison."

"Tequila!" she shouted over the loud music surrounding them. She effortlessly slipped into the small space between his legs as more patrons pushed their way into the bar. Once two shots were set in front of them, he salted the top of his hand and offered it to her with a very present dare on his face. She ignored it in defiance and drowned both shots in quick succession licking her lips once she was finished. "That's the best you got?"

"What if tonight, we do something crazy and off script?" he leaned into her ear, his hand finding his way to her hip with ease. She shivered at the close contact of his lips near her skin. "Something you secretly always wanted to do but didn't. What if, tonight we just live on the edge and see what happens?"

"Stop right there. I'm not drunk yet." She scoffed with amusement as a grin grew on her face without permission.

"Well have at it." He sniggered gesturing dramatically around them. "There's a whole bar at your disposal."

When the bartender was turned away from them she lithely leaned over the bar and grabbed a bottle of the tequila and poured another two shots. Klaus looked on in both shock and pride as she just a quickly replaced the bottle and settled back on the balls of her feet without so much of a blink from any other patron. She shrugged at his expression.

"He was taking too long." She bit her lip for a moment before shaking the salt onto her hand and offering up to Klaus. Quirking up an eyebrow at his hesitation, she went to pull her hand back. His grip on her waist tightened just enough to stop her and he captured her hand and brought it to his mouth. She knew she was walking a dangerous line but when his tongue warmly found its way across her skin, his eyes never left hers. His satisfaction with the gesture was clear on his face.

"You continue to be delightfully surprising." He assessed happily as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She hated to admit that she could still feel the warmth of his tongue burning on her skin; couldn't deny she wanted it elsewhere. "Well, love. We could continue this dalliance with liquor or you could allow me to show you a thing or two."

"You're very odd, you know."

"And yet, you're still here."

The heart pounding in her chest against her rib cage made her feel alive for the first time all week. "Well, what did you have in mind?"


	4. Chapter 4

Hello lovelies. First of all, that you all for taking the time out to review and provide feedback. I can't say how many chapters there are, but I am posting as soon as I am three chapters ahead. I'm not quite there with chapter 7, however I have poured over this chapter enough that I fear if I'll ruin something if I keep editing. I'm more than happy to answer any questions you have via PM! Please consider leaving me some love. This is totally new characters for me to right and I just want to make sure I'm getting them right.

I don't have a definite number of chapters but there will be quite a few more for sure!

Enjoy!

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Chpt 4

"What are we doing here?"

Caroline tripped against Klaus's back as they abruptly stopped. They had drowned a few more shots, dodged past their respective partners they had ditched in the bar and made their way through downtown. He had never let his grip on her hand waver as he led them across brick paved streets and yellow lights guiding their way. Caroline felt both a rush of nervousness and pure excitement as they made their small journey, giggling at every trip or bump they had encountered. Currently, they were in the back alleyway of what appeared to be a hotel but she was a little uncertain as to what they were doing.

"Here," he handed her the jacket he had draped across his arm. They had made a stop in the garage earlier to rifle through his car for it. "Help me put this on." She held it out for him to slip his arms into and he slid it on his shoulders. "I borrowed it from Elijah. I'm sure he'll be steaming about it in no time. But we need to blend in."

"Blend into what?" she asked as he worked on the door in front of them. He didn't answer right away so she came up beside him and stopped his work. "Klaus? What are we doing."

He grinned. The door creaked and he opened it and pushed her gently inside. Once again, she stumbled slightly but was easily caught by Klaus as he pulled her into a long hallway. Another giggle erupted from her throat as they hid away from a hotel employee that was in their vicinity. Klaus still had his smile in place as he held up one finger to signal her to be quiet and she held her hand over her mouth to stifle the noise.

"Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?" she whispered after a few moments as he craned his neck around the hallway to see if the coast was clear. "Klaus!"

"Easy, love." he made a moved to check one more time before turning back to her. They were both aware now of the close proximity of their bodies in the small alcove they were tucked into. "I can assure you that you can honor your verbal contract to trust me."

"Not if we're doing stuff that is illegal!" she shouted the last part and clamped her hand down over her mouth, her eyes wide. She took a breath as he waited in amusement. She shook her head in silent admonishment to herself. This was the part he was expecting her to back out on. "Ok well what is the plan?"

His shock was evident.

"I plan things, ok? Whatever the hell this is, we're not going to just wing it because I'm a terrible liar and I don't know you."

Stepping into the hallway he straightened his jacket and held out her arm for Caroline to take. After huffing for a moment, she looped her arm through his.

"I believe there's a wedding party in there." He nodded to the double doors at the end of the hall. Before Caroline could protest he interrupted her. "It's rather large. A few hundred people, in fact. What if, we just sneak in and drink some swanky champagne and eat some cake? Maybe fancy a waltz."

"Oh." Caroline's mouth formed the shape of the 'o' as it left her lips. She found herself clutching Klaus's forearm with more pressure as they approach the door. Just before they reached the threshold, she latched onto him fiercely and stopped them. "Wait! What if we get caught?"

His dimples formed immediately with a devilish grin and a wink. "What if we do?"

x-X-x

Caroline cased the room slowly around the edges, her eyes taking in every detail from the decadent food and drink choices to the elegant and soft decorations on the tables and ceilings. She had often dreamed of wedding this lavish as a child. Once she got older, she looked forward to planning these events with flourish. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she caught a glimpse of the bride dancing securely in her groom's arms, her look of love and adoration apparent.

It was small snippets like this that made her realize how much she was going to be missing out on. She was young, and she always thought she had the time. Now, time was a very apparent enemy and she was slowly coming to terms with the insurmountable loss she was facing ahead of her. Catching Klaus's eye out of the corner of hers, she watched as he wound his way through the crowd and placed a flute of champagne in her hand.

He was standing directly behind her, her right shoulder leaning softly against his torso. She could feel him staring at her as she continued her observation of the scene before her. After a short interlude, she could hear him gently humming the tune of the song the string quartet was playing. Finding that it was comforting to her at her moment of crisis she allowed herself to sink just a bit further into him, the warmth spreading across her body.

Without permission, she felt him snake his arms around her waist and smoothly spin her around capturing her in his arms. For just a fraction of a second, she allowed herself to enjoy the feeling of being in the embrace of someone. She wasn't foolish enough to believe it was real with Klaus of all people, but if she closed her eyes it was enough to make her forget for just that small fraction of time that there was a possibility of a future.

"Relax love." He grinned, shaking her arms a little to try and get her to loosen up. Taking the glass from her hand, he leaned closer to her, the stubble on his cheek caressing against hers. Letting out a sigh, she gave herself to his arms for the third time that day, entwining their fingers together. She could feel his smile against her skin and slowly she let out the breath she had been holding. "You're quite the dancer, you know."

"You seemed surprised." She scoffed in amusement. Raising her head up in pride she smirked at him. "I'll have you know I was Miss Mystic Falls." After a beat and in response to his expression she laughed out loud before ducking her head into his shoulder.

"What does that even mean?"

"You know," she looked at him, her laugher subsiding but still present. "It doesn't mean shit now. It means I put on a dress and waved on a float in a parade and participated in some antiquated dance."

"Ah." He nodded in understanding. His sister had participated in a similar event during her time at school. She gasped as he twirled her easily away from his body and then spun her back against his torso. "I took dancing lessons in school to get out of fencing lessons."

"Really?"

He chuckled has his hand guided across her back and around her waist to pull her closer to him. "The truth is I was doing my best to spite my father and tick off Elijah."

"Did it work?"

"Brilliantly." He responded and shook his head at the memory. "It exceeded my expectations really. Do you know how much girls love a bloke that can dance?"

"Of course." She rolled her eyes as the song they were dancing to switched to another beat. "When do you think we can have cake? I have a very strict rule that champagne and dancing should always involve cake."

"Not sure they have cake on the mind just yet."

Lifting her head up, she looked to the left of the ballroom as the couple he was referring to. His grip around her waist tightening delicately, she watched as the bride looped her arms around the groom's neck in a haphazard fashion. There was no formality to the two of them, but total comfort and familiarity as the woman swayed in her white lace dress and gazed adoringly up at the man. He was whispering something to her that was making her blush. After a second, the man swept down and rubbed his nose against hers before kissing her temple adoringly.

Caroline felt she was intruding on an intimate scene and shunned her head away from the sight. It took her by surprise when Klaus lessoned his grasp on her waist and their intertwined fingers and ghosted his hands along her arms to pull them around his neck in a similar fashion that the couple across the room were.

Gulping back the sob she wanted to release she tried to focus on the bubble she was in; the heat of his neck and the softness his curls against her hands. It worked briefly before her thoughts shifted to every moment that she would never get; the satin of a dress or the first dance with the promise of a forever with someone who would cherish her.

"Might I suggest more alcohol." he said allowing her arms to drop from his neck just slightly. Klaus had watched a mirage of emotions flicker across her face as she had watched the couple but had a hard time deciphering what she was thinking. He found himself in that position a lot with her and she never seemed to not surprise him with her reaction.

"Maybe." She conceded giving him a tight smile. Judging by the furrowing of his brow, she wasn't doing a great job of impressing him with her changed mood. Her hands moved down to his chest, her focus suddenly on his pounding heart and the sharp intake of breath. Finally allowing herself to face him, she gave him a brighter smile, her hands falling from his chest. "I think maybe the tequila is finally working for me." She frowned and winced. "Or it's going to make me it's bitch. I haven't decided yet."

He took a step back and gestured his arm with flourish, deciding not to push anything just yet. "Yes, well let's see what we can do about that cake situation shall we?"

Allowing Klaus to guide her through the crowd, she kept her fingers firmly together but granted him permission to still take her hand. There was heat there, her palm engaged against the calloused skin of his hand, but without their fingers threaded together has they had been, the warmth seemed to be absent. Her shoulder bumped into another guest on their way to the bar. She mumbled out an apology but suddenly she could feel the full effect of the alcohol she had consumed.

"I certainly hope you'll excuse my wife, she's utterly sloshed." Klaus spoke before she had the chance to speak. The horrified and amused look on Caroline's face was enough to keep him going. "I tried to tell her that last bottle of champagne wasn't needed to the point of excessive but she's seems rather insatiable." He tugged her into his side and leaned in close winking at the man in front of them. "In more ways than one if you know what I mean mate."

"Excuse me." A young woman in a pink chiffon dress approached them as Klaus pulled Caroline up steady on her feet. She carried a clipboard and had a pen stuck in the bun that had her hair pinned up. Klaus could faintly make out the 'uh oh' Caroline murmured as the woman reached them and she clutched him tighter. "Hi. I'm April, the wedding planner. Are you with the bride or groom?"

"Bride." "Groom." Caroline and Klaus both answered at the same time as Caroline cringed. She was a terrible liar. Klaus continued easily. "I'm Matt Donovan and this is my wife Rebekah. We know both the bride and groom."

April observed Klaus for a flash in confusion before glancing down at her clipboard. Caroline tugged on Klaus's sleeve and eyed him conspiratorially as she got on her tip toes and pressed her lips against his ear. "What about the cake?"

"April." Klaus interrupted the woman's perusal of what he assumed to be a guest list. It was both endearing and annoying that Caroline had chosen at that moment to succumb to her alcohol as he was trying to dig them out of their current predicament. "We were actually on our way out. My wife was just going to go get her things."

Caroline furrowed her brow at Klaus but caught on quickly to what he was saying. She could see their exit a couple of dozen yards away through a crowd of people. Looking at her shoes, she grimaced at the possibility of running in heels slightly drunk. April seemed unimpressed and unamused by Klaus's charm or maybe it was Caroline's own inability to not stand up straight without leaning. After a beat, April removed her stare from them and focused her attention to two men by the door nodding in their direction.

Everything next happened very fast. She heard Klaus mutter a distinct "shit" under his breath before nudging her in the opposite direction as he gave the very clear instruction for her to run. Squealing she took off thankful that her years of dance and cheerleading were allowing her the ability to run in heels despite her inebriation. Klaus was close behind her as she reached the door. She paused to take in the scene in front of her; guests looking around at the commotion, the two security guards hastily making their way towards them, and finally Klaus skidding to a stop on the slick floor and turning around to the large table with the cake in the center. Her mouth dropped open in shock as he quickly grabbed the knife, cut a piece of the bottom tier and plopped it on a plate. In a few short moments he was by her side.

"GO! GO!"

X-x-X

"I believe we're in the clear."

Her laugh bellowed deep out of her gut as she bent over once they were a few alleyways over from the hotel. Truthfully between the run, the alcohol, and the excitement the tequila and champagne were not settling great on her stomach. Klaus peeked around the corner a few times before walking the short distance to where she was leaning against a wall. He approached her joviality, the cake on the plate he extended to her.

"What no fork?" she teased as he mockingly scowled. "How am I supposed to eat that."

Without a thought, he tucked a small piece of the cake between his fingers and smushed the cake across her lips his thumb lingering just a tick too long. He seemed very pleased with himself as he took a short step back from her outraged expression. "About like that I suppose."

She licked her lips and giggled. "Ever the gentleman." She gestured for him to give her more and after a moment of hesitation he resumed his position in front of her and reached for more cake. Before he could get any however, she deftly knocked the bottom of the plate from his hand and into his awaiting face.

The pure joy and mirth from her amusement was enough to break Klaus from the fleeting shock and anger of what she had just done. Scooping a large portion of the cake off his face he flicked some of the frosting in her direction. She shrieked in protest and he easily slipped into her chorus of laughter. There was frosting across her cheek and flecks in her hair and he found that she was captivating in the glow of the moonlight.

"Who are Matt and Rebekah Donavon?"

Klaus snickered as he tried to removed the rest of the cake from his face. His shirt was a lost cause and Elijah would have his head for the jacket. "Rebekah is my younger sister. She dating a bloke named Matt. He's a bartender and she's in love." He rolled his eyes sarcastically. "I promise I do not wish marriage on them at all; I was trying to think quickly on my feet."

"Do your feet want to go for a walk with me?" she asked quietly, their hysterics subsided. She was looking at him with thoughtful contemplation and complete ease and she stretched up and wiped some more frosting off of his cheek.

His response was a warm smile. "I suppose it beats running."

X-x-X

"There you are. Sugar with what appears to be a side of coffee."

She took the cup from his hand with a roll of her eyes as he took a place beside her. Shrugging off his jacket he tucked it around her shoulders as she leaned across the railing. Offering him a grateful smile she inhaled a deep breath with the view of the water in front of her. As the early morning dawn was approaching she thought back on the night she had with Klaus.

Crashing weddings and tequila aside, they had spent the rest of the evening walking quietly through the historic streets of Charleston. She had whispered historical anecdotes and stories as they passed by the brick and stone of the city. He had listened with much interest, genuinely entertained by her animated retellings. They had found their way to the Battery park along the banks of the Ashley River as the bid the night and moon farewell.

"This is one of my favorite places in the city." She revealed as he moved closer to her. "My parents would get a pizza and we would come down here and eat it during sunsets." She mused quietly before turning her attention to Klaus and offering him a warm smile. "I had the most fun with you tonight; more than I've had in a long time."

He spun around, his elbows resting along the railing so that he was facing her giving her a piercing look. "Elijah is going to spout a cow when he finds out."

Her brow crinkled in confusion. "What is the deal with you and him anyway. There's some weird antagonism there."

Klaus scoffed bitterly. "Elijah used to be my best mate. There was a bit of an incident during our formative years that we've struggled to get over. We're just so different." He shrugged. "Growing up, he was the only buffer between me and my father. I took off rather suddenly after graduation and stayed away for a long time. We came to blow a few months ago but I'm trying to move past that. He doesn't exactly trust my desire to settle now when I've never been inclined to do so before."

"And why the desire?" she prompted after a tick of silence. She wanted to delve further into the father comment as well as his need to run but didn't feel it was the right time. "To settle, I mean. Stefan told me a little about your previous job. That sounds exciting being able to travel like that."

"It was." He admitted, the hint of nostalgia gracing his features. "Paris, Tokyo, Rome…you would love Rome I think." She blushed as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Things change and life moves on. Time becomes a villain." He sighed softly in contemplation. "Have you ever not wanted a day to end?"

She made a show of looking around their surroundings before focusing her attention back on him. "I can think of a few." Motioning over her shoulder she eyed the appearing sun in the horizon. "Why do you think we're facing away from the new day?"

His comment on time caught her off guard and once again she discovered herself immersed in the feeling that in just a few short days he had managed to capture the very feeling jumbled up inside of her. All week she had been avoiding her diagnosis and the inevitable outcome. In the time she had spent with Klaus however she had found herself living instead of being caught up in the motions of her life…what was left of it. Contemplating the sincerity in his eyes however, she made the decision that getting involved with him would end in nothing short of heartache.

"What if this didn't have to end?"

Delicately she took a sip of her coffee, wincing at the heat as is hit the back of her throat. She crooked her head to the side softly. "What if, we just left this wonderful night perfect just the way it is? It's not a good idea to get involved; it's not the right time."

With flourish he pushed himself off the railing dramatically. "Your resistance is as impressive as it is baffling. What are you so against?"

"I'm not against anything." She stammered in protest. "We just met. We just started working together- "

"Bollocks." Klaus sneered lightly giving Caroline a look of contempt. "You're so determined to cover our connection with hostility. Your suggestion that there is ever a time that is not now is absurd."

Taking a step towards him instead of away from his aggression she reached up and lightly kissed his cheek her hand lingering on his cheek. She had made her decision. "Thank you for the dance."

"Which one?" he breathed, trying to ignore the closeness of her body next to his and tingle her lips left on his cheek. He could have gone eight rounds of antagonism but settled on having patience. He couldn't fathom how after the night that they had and the times they had shared so far that she was still keeping him at arm's length. She gave him what was become her infamous smirk as she took a step back, his cheek cold from the lack of her touch.

"All of them, Nik."

* * *

Drop some love!


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you to everyone who took the time to tell me how they are enjoying the story! I quite like writing these two and I hope I'm doing them justice. This chapter I rewrote so many times, and I think I'm finally happy with it. It's a bit on the longer side, so hang in there. I have the next few chapters ready to go so drop me some love and let me know how I'm doing. I appreciate everyone who is reading!

* * *

Chapter 5

Wincing at the grinding of metal against wood, Caroline easily side stepped a pile of debris bringing the coffee in her hand to her lips. Construction had officially begun on the restaurant, but first the demolition of years of retail space had to be cleared away. Perusing over the blueprints and the design she gave strict instructions to the crew before making her way down the staircase into the quiet of the lower level.

Her weekend had been spent lounging with Colby in her back yard, relishing the feel of the sun on her face and allowing warm thoughts of Klaus invading her mind. Truthfully, it had been a welcome occurrence until the inevitable reality of her health would rear its ugly head. Her time with him had been exhilarating and exciting but she had decisions to make; limited treatment options and pain management. In the week or so since her diagnosis she wasn't certain she had decided to comes to term with it just yet.

She had held back tears as she spoke with her mother on Sunday. Sheriff Forbes worked to much and it took everything in her to not blurt out to her mother what was happening to her. Coming to terms with the fact that life was too short, she wanted to tell her mother everything. Work didn't matter that much; she should date more; take a vacation. Even though her parents had been divorced for quite some time, her father's death had such an affect on her mother that it tore her apart thinking what was going to happen once she too was gone.

Her week had gone by quickly; demolition occurred the first three days of the week and now they had started clearing out some of the wreckage and stated putting the foundations of the restaurant in place. Caroline had spent the last two days directing contractors and scouring antique shops and furniture makers across the low country trying to hunt down décor for the project. Every small interruption was both of equal annoyance and disappointment when they all turned out to be everyone but Klaus. She had been mulling over their last conversation heavily during the week and wondered why she didn't stop overthinking everything and just go for it.

"Caroline, hey."

Caroline spun in her chair of her makeshift workspace to see her friend landing at the bottom of the stairs. She had met Bonnie Bennett in college during rush week where they had decided that the whole tradition was archaic and humiliating, deciding to instead commiserate and laugh at a local diner. Finding herself in kindred with the darkened beauty, they had remained friends throughout college and into adulthood, surviving a long-distance friendship. Bonnie had interned and studied culinary school in New York before finding herself right back at home in Charleston.

"Bonnie!" Caroline greeted happily as she got up and walked the short distance to encase her in a hug. Her throat tightened thinking of the eventual bomb she would have to drop on her. She was running of time. "What brings you by?"

"I wanted to see the progress." Bonnie explained, tucking the dark locks of her bob behind her ear. "But also, I sort of have a mock up for the menu?"

"YES!" Caroline exclaimed holding her hands out in anticipation. Her friend had come up with the most amazing recipes over the years but had yet to run her own kitchen yet, instead focused on honing her craft as a sous chef with a small catering business on the side. "Your food is magical and I anything you have to offer."

"Ok, ok." she giggled reaching into her bag and pulling out several papers. "I had a buddy help do the designs and the food is totally just off the top of my head."

"These look great." Caroline grinned up at her as she peered over her shoulder, reading though the menus. "I love the artwork on this one; it totally vibes with the look we're going for in the restaurant. This one would look terrific for the bar drink menu."

"Great." She slipped up on top of Caroline's desk, crossing her legs and pulling out a bottle of wine from her bag and holding it up. "I brought the 'I'm such a badass and this project will be my legacy' merlot. I figured we could celebrate today since I couldn't make it out Friday night."

Caroline grinned despite the knot in her stomach over the legacy comment, easily taking the spot next to Bonnie on the desk. "Do you think it could also be the 'My best friend is greatest?' merlot because she is." Eyeing the bottle appreciatively her brow furrowed. "Hey Bon, how are we going to drink this?"

"Just because it's only 1130 in the morning doesn't mean we can't celebrate."

"I meant, without glasses." Caroline giggled, thumping the bottle. "I have never been opposed to morning drinking."

"Easy." she replied pulling out the cork with an audible 'pop' and bringing the bottle to her lips. "With class and refinement, obviously."

"Obviously." Caroline laughed again taking the bottle and enjoying a sip from it. She glanced at the bottom of the bottle. "This is the greatest $9 bottle of wine we've ever had."

"It almost beats $12 bottle we had we we graduated college."

"Or the $6 one we shared during spring break."

"Ok, that bottle was questionable at best to what it exactly was." Bonnie chuckled, lightly bumping her shoulder into Caroline. They had made a tradition of celebrating moments with the cheapest bottle of wine they could find that had spanned the course of their friendship. "I'm proud of you Care. I mean that. You and Stefan are doing so amazing. This will do wonders for you career."

Caroline forced a smile before taking another gulp of the wine. She felt she was a strong person; she had endured so much loss during her short lifetime but she couldn't wrap her head around the loss of her own life. With every turn, she could see how it would affect the people she cared the most about and with increasing difficulty she found it hard to go on with a life that was on borrowed time.

"Speaking of!" Bonnie excitedly clapped her hands together shaking Caroline out of her reverie. "I sort of have the inside track that Enzo St. John is looking for a new kitchen to oversee."

Caroline nearly chocked on the wine she had just took in. "Seriously?! He's fantastic. He would do wonders for the restaurant." She sighed dreamily thinking of the possibilities. "Wait, how do you know that? You two don't even work in the same kitchen."

"Uh,"

"Oh!" Caroline's eyes went wide with realization. "You've allowed him inside your track! It's total pillow talk. You total slut."

"Hey now!" Bonnie exclaimed incredulously. "First of all, gross. Secondly, I'm not the one that came home well into Saturday morning wearing the same dress from the previous night. You're totally supposed to at least switch up the shoes and add a jacket if you're going to do the walk of shame."

Narrowing her eyes, Caroline glared at Bonnie. "It was no walk of shame! And you and Stefan are such school girls when it comes to gossip."

Bonnie shrugged. "If that's your story." They fell into a small fit of giggles after a beat of silence and Bonnie took a deep breath. "Enzo is something that's new. I didn't want to say anything until I thought it would be more than an appetizer."

"But it's the main course?" Caroline ventured grimacing at the terrible metaphor.

Blushing Bonnie exhaled. "I think so? It's all so… new. And he's older than me! And so much more experienced. And my gosh, the accent. It does things to you. He could read the ingredients of corn flakes and it would just about undo me. I mean you know all about the accent, now right?"

"Bonnie!" Caroline had never heard her friend gush over a guy so much before. It was in these moments that she felt the weight of her diagnosis the most; the times when she felt happiest. She quietly shook the thoughts away. "What did Stefan tell you exactly?"

"Nothing." Bonnie quirked up her eyebrows as she helped herself to the bottle again. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand she glanced up at Caroline. "I stopped by Saturday morning to go over this stuff with you but you hadn't returned yet from what Stefan informed me was a rendezvous with a certain British artist."

It was Caroline's turn to blush.

"I'm going to kill him." She shook her head, opening her mouth to speak before closing it. Where did she begin? "Klaus is an investor in the restaurant. He's a bit of a lose cannon it seems." She explained further with a impish grin. "We sort of crashed a wedding."

"Caroline Forbes!"

Caroline threw her face in her hands for a moment before pushing her hair away and gave her friend a weary look. "I know. It was so silly. I don't know where my head was."

"What are you doing with him?"

"That's just it! I have no idea. I've known him only a few days and I'm acting like a crazy person."

Bonnie captured Caroline's hand with her own. "I think, whatever it is, you should just sit back and enjoy it. You've gone through so much and you work so hard. Crashing a wedding? The Caroline Forbes I know would only be caught dead planning a wedding. I think it's great that you have someone to push you out of your bubble."

Leaning back on her hands, Caroline blew out her breath. "He makes me totally unbalanced." She admitted with a slight smile. "But in a way that makes total sense. It scares me a little that he seems to so easily pull that version of me out."

Bonnie snorted softly, a knowing expression on her face. "Care, I mean, what if that's the true version? As long as I have known you, you've had precision and plans. But that only allows for so much. You couldn't plan for your dad. You didn't account for what happened senior year-"Bonnie stopped short of finishing the sentence, Caroline's eyes wide at the admission. Bonnie didn't offer an apology, knowing that Caroline wanted to move on. "The point is, life does not care about your plans. Maybe what scares you isn't that he can pull out that version of you. What if it's only scary because that's who you've meant to be this whole time and you've been denying yourself?"

x-X-x

"Bloody hell!"

Caroline jumped at the scream and then loud crash that had jarred her out of her thoughts. She traced the source of the commotion upstairs along the far wall of the restaurant. She had guessed the voice before she even placed the face; a face that had plagued her thoughts for the bulk of her morning after her talk with Bonnie.

Klaus was pacing angrily, his boots stomping back and forth across the hard wood. Wincing at his poor choice of curse words as he continued his ramblings to whoever was on the phone she debated interrupting him. She was for sure annoyed he was interrupting her working day but couldn't find it in her self to upset that he was there at all.

"It's horrifically cliché that you believe you would be able to get this by me." Klaus huffed, his lips shutting tight, his face contorting in a red and raw anger. "On the contrary, of course I'm not upset. Upset is an emotion specific to those who care! Once more your capacity for nobility is our guiding north star. Standing beside the honorable Elijah, how can I be anything but the lesser brother?!"

Caroline cringed and yelped as he slammed his phone against the wall beside him, the tiny pieces shattering and flying in all directions. His shoulders heaved up in down as his fury built within him, the tension coming off of them in waves. This outburst was so much different than anything she had seen of him thus far in her interactions with him. Swallowing back her hesitation, Caroline made her way over to him, her heels crunching on pieces of plastic and debris that covered the floor.

"What?!" he roared once Caroline reached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. She shuttered back as he whirled around to face her. His features instantly softened, a flash of remorse crossing over his face. Caroline held up her hand and shook her head as he took a step to her.

"You're bleeding." She whispered, gulping, and nodding to his hand. The skin had busted wide open, a steady trickle of red seeping across his knuckles and down his hand. He blinked after a few seconds and finally seemed to get back into the right headspace as he held his arm up with his free hand supporting it. Glancing just past his head, her eyes narrowed and her mouth fell open in astonishment. Marching up to him, she shoved his shoulder. "What the actual hell Klaus?" Caroline yelled her jaw set in determination. She gestured to the wall behind him. "You punched my wall?! Do you have any idea how hard I worked to preserve the wood that was on there?"

"Caroline-"

Bumping into his shoulder once more as she passed him, he grimaced in annoyance but waited a moment before turning around to her. "Great. This is no longer salvable." She assessed as she inspected the wood carefully.

"It was dreadful anyway."

Spinning quite rapidly on her heels, Caroline scowled at him in contempt. "Excuse me. That was incredibly rude."

"I'm the one bleeding here, love." He held up his hand in a dramatic show and tell. "Perhaps a little less prattling on about my lack of etiquette and more offerings of hospitality to play nurse."

Her eyes widened at his blatant insinuation before they tapered into slits.

"What is your problem!" she seethed, snatching up a nearby cloth and tossing at him. He easily caught it against his chest, slamming it down onto the floor. "You can't say I didn't try to help you; not like you totally deserve it."

"You haven't a clue of what I'm dealing with."

"What you're dealing with?!" her voice rose with each word punctuated, her fists in tight balls by her sides. She marched up to him, her finger thumping into his torso. "You have no idea what is going on with my life, so don't flatter yourself as being the only one with problems! Most people just suck it up and put on their big girl panties and deal with it!"

He opened his mouth, a heated retort on his tongue but shut his jaw quickly and looked away. It was only a second before he returned his focus to her. "Your capacity for tact doesn't waver in the heat of anger I see." His face softened and he sighed. "We're not on the best of terms, Elijah and myself."

She waited for further explanation but realized she would not be getting one.

"Yeah, well," she crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't have to assault my wall because of it." She held up a finger to silence him when he opened his mouth. "Or insult it for that matter. I'll have you know that it was original mahogany and it is beautiful. Or at least it was before you went total hulk on it."

He held up his hands in surrender and made a move towards her. "You are correct and I apologize." She relaxed a moment later and sighed trekking the short distance to one of the work tables and grabbing a roll of paper towels. Walking back to him, she pulled some off the roll and grabbed his forearm, bringing his hand towards her. "Thank you." He murmured as she pressed the cloths to his hand. He ducked down to meet her eyes directly. "Caroline, I am regretful. You weren't meant to see that and I certainly didn't mean to take it out on the wall."

"What's going on with you and Elijah?" inspecting the wound on his hand she grimaced. "We should probably go wash this out."

"Right." He agreed as she led them to the back of the building, turning on the water and rubbing her fingers over the wounds to clean off the blood. "It's complicated. With Elijah. I let my temper best me."

Drying off the water she inspected her work and patted his hand. "I don't think you broke anything, thankfully but you'll probably have to keep that clean for a few days."

"You're not going to prod about Elijah?"

"No." she dropped his hand and left the washroom, Klaus following closely behind her. She liked finding out little nuggets of information that he bestowed upon her. She didn't think their dynamic called for questions. "I have to get back to work."

"Caroline, wait." Latching on to her arm delicately he stopped her from getting further from him. She glanced from his hand, which he immediately released, to his face. "Grant me the allowance to treat you dinner. I know a really lovely Italian place. Permit me to acquit myself."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"How delightfully unsurprising."

"Look," Searching for the right statement in response to his sarcasm she took a moment before exhaling "All your charm isn't going to get anywhere with me. It's not going to get you into my evening or my life or anywhere else you were thinking about."

"Now look who's flattering themselves."

"What if we just leave this for what it was? It was fun." Was her response to his scoff. She cupped his cheek gently. "Take care of yourself Nik."

X-x-X

Running a hand over his tired face, Klaus took a step back from the canvas in front of him. There was something definitely shaping up on it, however the more he looked at, the more deflated he felt about the message he was trying to convey. With a frown, he scooped up a pint of white paint on his left and poured it over the artwork with a flourish. Glancing around his studio, he realized that this was becoming a common occurrence over the last week as he took in the sight of several other pieces that were similar.

Mulling over this morning incident with Caroline and his spat with his brother hadn't done much to impress his mood or his creativity. It was frustrating to be in a seemingly constant on again and off again with her and never really knowing when the flip would be switch. He couldn't really deny that in the midst of all the crazy in his life, even the drama with his brother, he had found his interactions with Caroline to be a welcome distraction and occurrence.

Things had slowed for him in his life, and he was unfamiliar with the process of having to woo a woman for more than the duration of a drink. He wondered if it was a bit of karma that was catching up to him as he was finally ready to slow down in his life. Spending his youth in and out of stranger's beds, and couches, and back seats had awarded him no favors in the long-term commitment department; not that he was in any position to commit himself now either.

"I know I don't have to most depth when it come to art, but I'm not really seeing the angle you're going for here."

Klaus turned, surprised by the voice that filtered through his studio. Lost in his thoughts, he hadn't even heard the elevator come up. He couldn't contain the grin that escaped his lips as he watched Caroline hesitantly step off the lift and onto the hammered hardwood. He watched as she studied the various paintings around the room, the light from the skylight steaming softly on her skin. Finally, after an unbearable amount of time she focused her attention on him and arrived where he was standing.

"Post modern blah blah babble, I think." He answered, the dimples in his cheeks reflecting his playfulness. "But, I supposed that not actually what warrants this visit. This surprises me, love. What brings you by?"

She didn't want to admit how much that pet name scared her when it came from his lips. Festering on Bonnie's words and then her own interactions with him, she had finally mustered up the courage to face whatever it was between them head on. Seeing him earlier had made her heart race but putting the brakes on whatever their connection was brought her crashing back down to reality quickly. She couldn't make a decision about her illness, but she could make a choice about her life and what was left of living it.

Clearing her throat and clutching her hand bag in front of her she stepped forward. "I had plans. Nothing spectacular or indulgent but I worked hard to graduate high school and go to college. I found something I was actually good at that I loved. I was able to build a business with my best friend. I like order, and lists, and-"

Klaus went to speak but she held her hand up to his mouth, her hand a breath away from his lips.

"Then you convinced me to crash a wedding." She ran her thumb along his cheek briefly as she gave him a small crooked smile. "You're not part of my plan, Klaus. I don't know where that leaves us." She took note of the how his face looked crestfallen for a split second before composing himself back to neutral. Anticipating this, she dove right back into the speech she had been rehearsing all week. "But, I don't hate being around you. What if you help me with the restaurant; and specifically, the bar. You have a great eye and I think we would work well together."

"My go at talking now?" he goaded playfully as he busied himself wiping off his brushes with the cloth in his hand. She had fallen silent after her small tirade and was peering up at him beneath her lashes. He itched the free the lip she was biting down on in nervousness but was still unsure of what the right response was.

"Look, I understand if you want to be hands off." Caroline fumbled the words, desperate to fill up the silence between them. She didn't know him well to understand his expressions or any of his ticks. What bothered her though, was that the found herself wanting to. "I think it would mean a lot to Elijah. And it may help smooth out some of the rough patches you're going through with him right now."

"Am I to guess you want our relationship to be strictly professional?"

"What if I don't know what I want." She confessed and set her bag on the table next to them. "I just know that when I'm with you, I feel outside of myself. I pride myself on being in control; lists, plans, demands. It's difficult for me to relinquish but with you," her eyes ticked up to meet his with her confession. "it feels very natural."

"I insist you call me Nik." He proposed in response. It seemed like the easiest avenue to take that she might accept. Her surprise was evident as her eyes widened. "That's my first condition."

"First?"

"I assumed you would appreciate a list." He continued with a smirk. "You've mentioned once or twice enjoying those. It would appear you only call me Nik when you're bidding me farewell. I find I don't care for it. Hearing it in greeting would be a lovely change."

"Fine." She conceded begrudgingly, a bite in her tone. "If you insist on it." She pointed a finger at him and his eyes quirked in interest. "The fits of rage directed at Elijah or otherwise steer clear of my walls. And floors. And general work space."

"Noted," He agreed. "however, under the current terms of our agreement, I believe you mean _our_ general work space. Speaking of Elijah, I would prefer he not be abreast of my involvement."

Crooking her head slightly to the side she nodded in hesitation, a defeated pout on her face. "Being around you two make me thankful I am the only child." Biting her lip, she shuffled her feet waiting before meeting his eyes. "Do you have any other conditions?"

"Not at the moment." He settled down onto the stool in front of his easel. "However, I reserve the right to amend them if I see fit."

"You have to take this serious. This is serious for me, and for Stefan."

"You have my word, sweetheart."

"Good." She bobbed her head once in acknowledgement and grabbed her bag. "Then I guess I'll see you at work. Monday morning, I'll text you the time. Don't be late." She softened her tone considerably as she murmured the next words. "Goodnight, Nik."

She barely heard the faint farewell he whispered as she turned and walked towards the elevator. Releasing the breath she didn't know she was holding, she fell gently against he wall of the lift as it took her down to the bottom floor. Waffling on the decision to come here all day had weighed heavy on her but she was relived that she had come up with a solution to keep him her life without completely involving him in everything that was going on.

Stepping out into the warm summer air, she observed the sun dipping into the horizon. Another day gone, with a new one just waiting to be lived. Pausing, the tried to calculate just how many more sunsets, and first dances, and chances to be happy she had left. She gulped, left with the only conclusion was that there simple weren't enough. Wanting much more, the only decision she had to make was if she was willing to take the chance. She winced and cursed herself spinning to head back into Klaus's studio without a much of a plan for once in her life and only an intense desire for more.

Not even getting one step in, he was standing there waiting for her. They both opened their mouths to speak but stopped short. A range of conflicting emotions flickered across his features before he finally huffed and took the two long strides to where she stood. He hesitated a moment before cupping her cheeks and pulling her towards him. She was gazing at him with expectancy and amusement and there was a soft glow to her aura that gravitated him towards her lips without permission.

He met her lips with a light stroke, an artist testing his brush against the canvas before painting the color across. Surprising him, she deepened the kiss, pressing her lips, her tongue grazing the bottom of his. He granted her permission a beat later, his tongue caressing against hers. It was a brief and sweet interlude, his mouth finding the corner of hers for once last touch.

"Condition three." He pulled back, his thumb grazing her bottom lip and awarding her a warm and mischievous smile. "Know I quite fancy you."


	6. Chapter 6

So, for probably the first time in all the time I have been writing fics I sat down and figured out an outline for the rest of this story. I think it will be around 25 chapters based on what I have written (just finished chapter 10!) and what I want the rest of the story to contain.

There's still a ton of story these characters want to tell and I'm here for it; unlike the devil Julie Plec, bleh. Your reviews from the last chapter inspired me to write a chapter I wasn't intending on and it turned out to be one of my favorite chapters yet. Although I'm pretty fond of this one. Thank you all for taking the time out and letting me know how I'm doing; it totally makes my day. I hope you enjoy the fluffy angst in this chapter. Leave me some love!

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Chpt 6

Burying her head further into her pillow, Caroline once again cursed herself for being less sensible about functional things such as blackened out curtains and more interested in ensuring that her bedroom décor was in suitable fashion. She had slept fitfully the night before, her thoughts rumbling through one top of one another. The project, her mother, her illness…Klaus. Not being able to be even a liar to herself, she knew that it was only a matter of time before she would find herself giving in to him.

Over the years, without meaning to, she had effectively cut off a large portion of her social and active life. She still vegged out with Bonnie every so often and there were many dinners and trips to the park spent with Stefan and Colby. Opening up herself for someone though had been a tough spell to break. Time was a luxury she always thought was there. Throwing herself in to the business and her career seemed like the right thing to do. Life and love and all the small things could easily fall into place later. Now, later was here. Tomorrow was fleeting.

"Morning, love." Caroline's eyes jerked open as her favorite ceramic mug was set on her bedside table. It was hard not to let her thoughts drift to her mother as the Mystic Falls Sheriff Department emblem stared back at her on the mug. Narrowing her eyes, she watched as Klaus made himself comfortable at the foot of her bed, his arm resting with ease on the footboard. "I trust you're well rested."

"What the hell Klaus." Caroline grumbled, squinting against the harsh morning light. Colby stretched beside her, his head rising up just a bit and deciding the commotion wasn't worth his effort to get up. She mussed up the fur on the top of his head in a mocking disgust. "And you. Some guard dog you are."

"What if today we started with a field trip?" he suggested as she reached over Colby to get the coffee mug. It was hot, filled with sugar and a hint of milk and Caroline was secretly please he remembered. "And please me mindful you agreed to call me Nik."

Gulping back the hot liquid, she sat up further in bed and pushed her hair over the top of her head. "Field trip for what, Nik?"

"Research purposes of course." He absentmindedly reached out to run his palm over the back of Colby's haunches very pleased with the sound of his name on her lips even if there was a twinge of sullenness. "There's a few bars I thought we could venture to. What better way to get inspired for our very own speakeasy."

"It's only like 9 in the morning." Her voice was hoarse from her restless sleep as she squinted at her alarm clock. She had to do a double take. "It's nearly noon?!"

"You know, Stefan assured me you would be up conquering the world over by 8 am sharp but it seems he was mistaken."

She groaned falling theatrically against her pillows. Klaus reached and pulled up back up into a sitting position, a pout firmly in place against her features. "I can't today." she noted his expression fall just a small but significant amount. She rushed to explain. "It's not that I don't want to. I just, when I suggested we work together I thought like on Monday, during normal business hours."

"If I recall, you weren't sure what you wanted." He pressed, shifting slightly up the bed towards her. "I'm just delighted I'm able to give you some options."

"You should know I hate surprises." She crooked her head to the side slightly for emphasis. "Hate them. Never have had anything but bad surprises. You showing up here this morning is a surprise."

"Are you really surprised?" he flirted with a grin.

"I'm thinking about it." She bunched up the quilt around her torso more snuggly, creating a barrier. After a brief moment of hesitation, she dove in. "I have something to do today. What if you join me? I could use the help. Maybe I'll think more on this surprise business."

X-x-X

The drive was long and Klaus mostly stayed quiet in the passenger seat. She found it comfortable; he would easily engage in conversation about the scenery passing by or have a colorful remark about her choice in music. She liked that he didn't ask a lot of questions considering she didn't have any answers for anyone. What she enjoyed most however was that not once had he asked where they were going or what they were doing. He was placing his day in her hands, much like she had placed hers with his the night of the wedding. Reaching up, he gently ran his fingers through Colby's fur as he stuck his head between the two front seats.

"How long have you had him?"

"Colby?" she looked in the rearview mirror as the husky moved to sticking his head out of the back window. "I got him when he was a baby a few years ago. He was the runt of his litter. Do you see how his left ear flops? It's a disqualification for showing. One of our professors was going to drop him off at the pound because he wasn't showman material. Stefan and I were talking about lunch and when he asked me about what kind of cheese I wanted, I said colby. The little butthead perked his right ear up and the other one dropped down over his face as he looked at me. I was hooked."

"He seems like a good mate."

"He was sometimes the only thing that kept me going."

He didn't reply as they exited off the highway and travelled down a long stretch of road before Caroline turned off into a driveway. It was nothing but dirt and light rocks scattered as they made their way under the cover of tall oaks lining the path. After a few moments of travel the path opened up into a clearing that had a cabin nestled towards the back. Pulling to the front and parking next to the large wrap around porch, Caroline offered Klaus a hesitant smile before climbing out of the car and going to her truck.

"I assume you're familiar with painting." She hoisted a gallon bucket and handed it to Klaus as he met her at the back of the car. Placing a toolbox in his other hand, she grabbed the remainder of the supplies and shut the trunk. "I hope you don't mind dirty work, because you have no idea what you signed up for."

"You keep threatening me with promises of dirty things love, I'll have to acquiesce to your mercy."

She rolled her eyes but he still followed her and Colby into the house and set his spoils on canvas that was covering all the floors. The house was dated and rustic with a vaulted ceiling covered in pine and large fireplace with hearth to the right. He assumed there to be living quarters to the right down the hallway and tucked along the corner on the left was an ancient kitchen. The house was cozy and small, but most impressive was an entire bank of windows stretching from the floor to the very top point of the roof. Beyond that was a decent size deck, a small back yard, and just a bit further a lake.

She stood at the bank of windows, her arms tucked tightly around her torso. Dressed much more smartly than him in a torn tank top and shorts, he watched as she pulled her hair up into a messy bun. Wanting to press for answers but not wanting to exactly press her, he took a hesitant step to the windows flanking the fireplace and opened them up with a creak. They would need the breeze from the lake if they were going to be working in here.

"Is this a project of yours or…"he asked taking a dramatic turn around the empty living room.

"This is my house." She explained, as she too began to open up windows. Propping open the door to the back deck she turned to face them after Colby scampered off to the back yard. "Stefan doesn't know about this."

He found the information intriguing but decided not to comment on it.

"This room needs to be painted with this." She instructed kneeling down to pry open the paint can. After a beat he bent down to help her pour it into the pan. Hesitating for a moment, she finally looked at him and sighed. "I can call you a car if you want to go. Or you can take mine and I'll figure out how to get back later. You don't have to stay. I did sort of trick you."

"Nonsense." He dismissed, dipping the roller into the paint and walking to the wall. "I assure you I was not tricked into anything I didn't want. I could do with more of your trickery in fact."

"You really don't give up do you?" she scoffed rolling her eyes. "I hope you share that same tenacity on the walls you'll be working on. I'm going to start on the kitchen."

He snickered in response and after a few moments she moved towards the kitchen and popped open the toolbox. Watching her take out a small sledgehammer he took a step back in surprise when she swung, hitting the wood over and over until it knocked down an upper cabinet. It easily fell to the floor in pieces and she huffed, her breath short. She swung again, cracking the tile that covered the countertop and splintering the wood that held it. Klaus studied her as she continued until she was gulping in big patches of air and dropped the hammer with a dull thud on the floor.

It was cathartic for her she realized as she fell against the counter that was still standing, her breath selfish for air. It was in her very nature to be in control. She had lists and plans and a general roadmap to what was going to happen next. The repair of this house was her plan. The growth of her career was the path. Cancer was not on her list.

Silently she began picking up the pieces of debris and tossing them in the trash. She buried her head down as closer to her chest as she could, careful not to venture her head up to meet his gaze. Minutes passed as she continued her work and finally she could hear the roller against the wall as he continued his effort. Grateful to him for not prying, she chipped at the pieces of tile on the back splash as he moved the bucket to the front wall and started his effort there.

Later, a few hours of silence and laboring together, Caroline decided she had reached a stopping point. The kitchen was nearly in shambles, primed to be rebuilt and Klaus had made quick exertion of the living room, already working on the second coat of color. Kicking at some of the wood that had fallen to the floor, she strode the brief distance to the small fridge and pulled out two of the beers she had stashed in there, tossing one to Klaus.

"I could use a break, hmm?"

Nodding, he followed her out to onto the back deck and across the small back yard. It too was covered in the shade of large oak trees, Spanish moss hanging from it's branches. It was hard to tear his vision away from the sunlight that filtered its way through shining upon Caroline as she led them to the dock. She plopped down on the wooden planks with little grace and motioned for him to join her. He was still standing as she began to speak.

"My mom is the sheriff in my home town." She popped the top of her beer and took a long sip. Her throat bobbed at her hard gulp. "Six months ago, she got shot."

Klaus tensed, his fingers gripping his own can. It was a moment before he prompted her to continue when she wasn't going to go on herself. "And she…?"

"She is okay." Caroline supplied, her gaze following a brood of ducklings as they chased after their mother. "It's a call she had gotten hundreds if not thousands of times. People in that small town think that every leaf that rustles or every raccoon in a trash bin is cause to call the sheriff." She swallowed hard at the memory; the phone call in the middle of the night, the never-ending drive to Virginia as she clutched Stefan's hand for the journey, and finally the relief as she fell into her mother's arms in her hospital bed. "If you ask her, she'll tell you it was no big deal. That it was just someone roaming from town to town. She'll tell you that it was just a bullet to the shoulder."

Klaus took a few strides and slid down sitting into the space beside her. Mimicking her previous action and opening up his own can, he sat close enough to her to be near but not enough that it was invasive.

"It was 2 inches above her heart." Caroline finished, her fingers fiddling with the tab. She wasn't sure if she had even told Stefan that part. "My parents had been divorced for years when my dad died. But he still left her with a sizable amount in his will. I think he was forever guilty that he was gay."

"Gay?" Klaus parroted in amusement. He was fascinated that he was learning more about her.

Caroline allowed an easy laugh. "When I was fifteen he came out to me and my Mom. For the record I was totally not surprised. His fashion taste was impeccable." Her eyes set out across the water, and she focused on the small bubbles and ripples that would appear every so often from the wildlife that lived there. "Anyway, he left my mom a pretty sizable amount of money. She just threw it into an account and has been letting it collect interest for years. I paid for school through scholarships and a waitressing job and she still works as the local sheriff."

"Ah, so she acquired the property."

"No." she shook her head and finally took a deep breath before looking at him. "That's point. I bought this for her. I've been trying to renovate it for months. My hope was that I could present it to her for Christmas. Try and convince her to retire and be closer to me and further way from danger. She doesn't have to work anymore. I've even priced out large bows."

"I'm beginning to see your flare for the dramatics." Klaus responded and she snorted gently. Nudging her shoulder, he urged her to continue. "And the practical side of you?"

She bit her lip. "What if I can get it done in time." She confessed, a little pleased that he had recalled their first conversation. "And I don't know if she would even go for it. She loves her job."

"Ah, I know about a bit about that." Klaus exhaled, and finally took a taste from his own beverage. Caroline looked at him expectantly and urged him to continue with a kink of her eyebrow. "My mother was a doctor. It's why my brother Kol went into medicine. But Kol is too young to remember growing up with scrub nurses and an endless rotation of orderlies that raised you. Mother was in the thick of her residency when I was young. It was a less than charming childhood at the time, and reflecting back on it, I don't see the appeal of it."

"I cried the first birthday she missed." Caroline admitted filing the information away about his family for later. He seemed to only offer of slices to her sporadically. "Then the next one. And every Christmas and cheerleading competition."

"Yes, we must discuss more your involvement with cheerleading."

"Seriously?"

"I assume there's some sort of evidence; a yearbook perhaps? I understand that's a huge part of American culture." Klaus prattled and Caroline hung her head in admonishment. Truthfully, she was thankful for his distraction from revisiting her sometimes sad childhood. "Or perhaps a uniform you can dust off; knickers optional of course."

"Who said I ever bothered with the knickers anyway?"

"I stand corrected." Klaus amended as he caught a playful swift back hand to the chest at his suggestion. He laughed and Caroline found she liked the sound very much.

"She did her best. She always made the effort." Caroline set the can in her hand next to her on the dock and slipped her bare feet into the water. It took a deal of effort on Klaus's part to not stare as she leaned back on her elbows, permitting the sun to sink into her skin. There was a reverence in her voice as she spoke next. "She's a great mom."

"You're a good daughter." He said taking her hand after a beat of silence. Squeezing his fingers, she gave him a smile. It was difficult, and his voice felt thick as he spoke his next words but he felt that it was an important detail to share. "I have a daughter, Caroline."

"Oh?" her tone had nothing but hints of amusement and surprise. In all her dealings with him, father was never something that had never crossed her mind. It made her wonder about the mother. "Being one myself, I have nothing but praise for them."

"I'm relieved to hear it." He chuckled as he turned their hands over, examining the back of hers. He hadn't realized how comforted he was with her reaction until it had passed. "Her name is Hope. She is five, going on 30 it appears most days. She lives with her mother majority of the time and I get her most weekends."

"Are you on good terms?"

"Most days." Klaus conceded. "Hayley and I were colleagues at my firm in Chicago. It was a one-time thing and turned into this unexpected lifelong partnership. Her pregnancy and the first two years of Hope's life weren't easy for the two of us as we tried to find our footing. Eventually, we reached a balance. She's a great mum, too."

"She's a lucky kid. Seems like she's got a great dad."

There was a bitterness to the chuckle he let out. "My complication with Elijah the other day? It was over Hope." Caroline's brow furrowed at the information. He stared out across the water, the sun high in the sky overhead. "Actually, specifically his engagement with Hayley that will affect Hope. As much as I hate to admit it, I do actually think that Elijah is good for Hayley. And Hope. My ego doesn't appreciate the beating thinking that does to it."

"Wow." Caroline processed the information as Klaus nodded in agreement. "Well I've decided I don't like him anyway."

"Fair enough." Klaus grinned scooting a smidge closer to her, allowing her honey scent of sailing over him. "I'm supposed to spend next weekend with Hope. What if you would join us?"

Her gut reaction was conflicted. The more time she spent with this man, the more she found herself enjoying not only herself with him, but her life in general. For the last two weeks she had been so focused on thinking of everything except her cancer that she hadn't really noticed him sneak by and into her world. She thought herself selfish however, a very real time clock ticking down over their heads and what limited time they would have. Finally, the decision she settled on was that sometimes things were never supposed to be right, or neat, or in the plans. But she deserved the chance to live while she still could.

"I would." She smiled, tucking her arm through his and leaning her head on his shoulder. She would figure out the rest as she went. "Nik, what if you continue helping me with the house?"

"It would be my pleasure, sweetheart."

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So I have not watched all of The Originals yet but I know the extreme backlash for Hope in the final season. I get it, and that's cool but I'm not here for that nonsense. In this fic she's important to the story but it doesn't hinge on her at all. Because I have only watched her as a baby in The Originals I'm making up her personality, and her relationship with Klaus and Hayley as I see fit for my story.

Cheers!


	7. Chapter 7

Hey all! Are you guys still with me? I hope so since we're just getting to the good stuff. I wasn't planning on the first part of this chapter but the characters insisted I put it in so I'm happy to oblige. Let me know how you're liking it; I have most of chapter 10 and 11 written. I'm just fine tuning at this point.

Thanks for reading!

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Chpt 7

Caroline stepped out into the warm dusk air, the back door shutting gently behind her. She made her way across the deck into the back yard, juggling a box of wine and two mis matched jars in her hand. Lightning bugs flickered the path for her, as Colby followed closely behind at her heels. Once she reached the two broken Adirondack chairs nestled around the bonfire she and Klaus had built, she settled into the curve of one and set the glasses on the cement block they had deemed a side table.

"I like to celebrate with the cheapest wine I can find." She explained as she poured some of the red into a jar and handed it to Klaus. She grinned as she filled her own jar. "It was something my friend Bonnie and I came up with, a sort of tradition."

He lifted his jar in her direction. "Cheers, love." They clinked their glasses and each took a sip. "Although, I'm not quite sure what we're celebrating."

She shrugged. "My house. The big freaking bow I'm gonna get for it." Resting against the back of the chair she rolled her head to look at him warmly. "The day we've had."

"Now that, I will toast to."

It was hard not to smile as she took another sip of the wine, the bitterness and dryness slipping down her throat. It had been a good day; tremendous progress on the work that needed to get done, an afternoon lounging in the sun on the dock, and an evening of bad Chinese food on the floor of her unfinished living room. It was easy to forget on days like today that she had a very real limit on the number she would experience more of them. She found that in her limited days, days like these weren't too bad in the company she kept.

"Tell me more about your siblings." She asked as she tucked her legs against torso. Colby grunted, settling down in the grass at her feet. Through the flickering of the fire she took notice of his flinch and his hesitation. "It's just, have you noticed we don't talk about anything real?"

"On the contrary." He winced as he took a swig of his drink and set the jar down the block. Rested his elbows on his knees he leaned forward and gazed into the bonfire. "I think we've had some very real conversations."

"But not about anything important." She protested and noticed his jaw clench. "I don't know anything about you."

"You seem troubled that you don't know facts about me when actually, I believe it to be that you know more about me than you realize." Turning his attention to her, he blew out his breath. "Caroline, we have talked of art and we've danced and ventured into a new day together. I've shown you more of myself than I have to anyone. Do you truly believe that anything I tell you now will change the connection we have?"

She gulped, tearing her eyes away from his and focused on the fire crackling in front of her. The memory of their kiss had more than once ran through her mind, but she was thankful that it hadn't been brought up by him. There had been careful glances, and ghosting touches throughout the day, but he seemed to be keeping them in a safe state of limbo for the time being. Finally, he spoke after several minutes of silence between them, his gaze heating into her more than flames flickering before her.

"Would you believe there are seven of us?"

"Like the Brady Bunch?" she retorted, returning her attention him and grateful that the he allowed the moment to move forward.

"Of course not." He deadpanned with amusement. "You know, my mother was mostly absent and aloof during our childhood. I'm not sure why she had so many of us; most likely trying to win affection with my father."

"That's the first time you've mentioned him." She replied softly, picking up on some underlying resentment. He focused on the wine in his glass swishing it around the curve of the glass.

"Not much to tell, really." He cleared his throat and took a large gulp of the wine. "He was a hard man; his patience wore thin the older we all got. He dotted on Freya and Finn, the first of his children. We caught his ire most of the time, Elijah and I, back in secondary school. We were probably closest then; when I could talk him into getting into reckless adventures with me. Kol and Rebekah were able to garner some of their affection at that point but it mostly left Elijah and myself outside the circle. We were all older when they had our youngest brother, Henrik. He passed away as a child."

"I'm sorry." She frowned, tucking her hand into his. "What happened?" he hesitated and Caroline winced in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. That was so rude. You don't have to talk about that."

"It's alright, love. It was a car accident." His eyebrows knitted as he stared into his glass and took another sip. There was an overwhelming melancholy in his tone as he continued. "I was driving; I wasn't being reckless or irresponsible, even. It was just….an accident."

"Oh."

"My parents were devastated. My mother was inconsolable and became even more distant and cold and my father blamed me. He didn't favor me much any way, but I assuredly put the nail in the coffin with Henrik's death."

"You're parents sound like real winners." She scoffed and he offered a half turn of his lips.

"Well, life moved on. We're pleasant enough with each other now, to the point of insane civility. But I no longer see them that much; even Hope has yet to meet them. I'm closest with the youngest of my siblings; that's Kol and Rebekah." He continued not wanting to dwell on the unpleasantness of his parents or his brother's death. "They are here at university. I'm indifferent to the lot of my older siblings; Freya and Finn are thick as thieves. Now with Elijah, I'm prone to bouts of casual indifference and utter contempt."

He was taken aback by Caroline's out loud laughter. She clamped her hand over her mouth and looked at him with the grace of embarrassment. "You being the middle child explains so much."

"How so?"

"Your need for attention and validation, for one."

He tapered his eyes and set back in the chair.

"And your business with Elijah?" she challenged, enjoying getting under his tough exterior and thankful for the shift away from the morose talk of death. "You claim casual indifference" using air quotes for emphasis she sat up straighter. "but yet, you don't want him to fail. You care that he succeeds in his ventures. It probably reminds you a little bit of your reckless adventures as kids."

"Afraid not, love." He smirked as he brought the jar up to his lips and took another taste. "What better way to prove to him that he needs me than to be the backer to his excursions? He likes to fancy himself independent and noble, but he is sorely mistaken in most of his actions."

"So, it's power grab?"

"Honestly I'm not sure what it is anymore." He admitted softly, disliking the chinks she kept finding in his carefully placed armor. "We have this bit of a never-ending circle of desperately needing one another to falling over ourselves to beat the other to the top. We've fought over everything from women to family obligations, and I find it rather difficult to step aside to allow him to be who he needs to be. I goad him quite often, in fact. I like to ruffle his feathers."

She bit her lip. "What are you afraid of? You seem to have made a connection just fine with me by trying to understand me. And you had that once with him. You don't think you can do that again with Elijah?"

"I'm not sure I understand you at all."

"Don't deflect." She admonished with a crook of her head. "Look, just make the effort. I know how successful his last restaurant was; I did the research. I sincerely doubt he needs your investment to make this work for him. Maybe," she settled back and ran her hand through her hair. "I don't know. What if he's giving you the only position he knew you would accept to keep you in his life."

"He's marrying the mother of my daughter; I think he's putting himself in a bloody good position to keep me involved in his life."

"And you don't want to admit that it's good. For you. And for Hope." Challenging with a quirk of her eyebrow she leaned forward in her chair to lean closer to him. "She's your daughter, Nik. She will always be your little girl. And you'll get to be the one to talk to her about boys and art, and a career, and adventures; you'll walk her down the aisle when she gets married. But in those in between times when maybe she has a bad day at school, or she needs help with her homework, I think you'll be thankful Elijah is the one who's there."

"I supposed there's some truth to that." He grumbled begrudgingly after a pregnant pause, his thoughts drifting elsewhere. Drinking in the last bit of wine in his glass he captured Caroline's hand in the palm of his. "Enough about me. Tell me more of your mum and this house. Why here?"

"It was on the lake." She explained, her eyes searching across the water, the stars reflecting against the black calm. She laughed softly. "My mom loves fishing. She tried to take me once when I was a kid; even bribed me with a hot pink Barbie pole. I was having none of that." Looking down at their intertwined hands she gave a fond laugh and continued. "She wont even tell people she likes it. If she tells them that she enjoys it, they'll ask her to go and then she'll be forced to either find an excuse not to in the first place or bow out at the last minute. Being married to her job has done her no favors. She hasn't even really been living."

"You feel this offers her a life?"

The earnest pouring from him was enough to unnerve Caroline. Having honorable intentions with the house had been the beginning plan. As it progressed further along like the cancer spreading through her, she couldn't help but feel she was projecting a life she never led onto her mother. There was the man before her, offering feelings of joy and anticipation, excitement and trepidation and she found herself afraid of the possibility. Maybe more afraid of never taking the chance.

"I feel I need more wine." She giggled nervously, her hand slipping from his grasp as she stood up. Making her way in front of him, he swiftly latched onto her waist and pulled her into his lap with a short squeal from her. Her palms on the plane of his chest, he ducked his head closer to her his nose skimming along the dip of hers. Her voice was breathless as she finally found the will to speak. "Nik."

"Are you to tell me you haven't been thinking of our kiss all day?" he continued his journey across her cheeks and into the crook of her neck, sweeping her curls over her shoulder with the back of his hand. Placing a kiss where her skin met her shirt, she took a quick intake of breath at the contact. He managed his way up her neck, kissing the hollow behind her ear before continuing to the corner of her cheek, her mouth. Her lips parted in a weak protest but he mistook it for an invitation instead and dove in.

The blissful sigh escaping her lips was enough to pull her further into his grasp, his hands snaking around her waist. Savoring the feel of his tongue against hers, she pushed her hands over his shoulders, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck. There was an urgency in his kiss now that wasn't there in the first one, full of longing and Caroline thought maybe a bit of fear as he nipped at her bottom lip. Surprisingly, it was he who pulled away first, his breath hitching as he rested his forehead against hers.

"I read somewhere that after eating Chinese food it's best you not operate heavy machinery. Also, it's under advisement that you not sit around a bonfire with a devilishly handsome man without kissing him."

"Oh." She laughed, her hands winding around the back of his neck as she pulled away from him. "What if I don't have one of those handy?"

He pecked her lips. "Ouch, love. No more sledgehammers for you miss."

"Nik?"

"Hmm?"

She tugged him closer to her, her lips a breath away from his. Intertwining her fingers at the nape of his neck, she sat up straighter and placed her lips against his. "Shut up."

X-x-X

Caroline flinched as her back door creaked as she opened it. It was still early; the sun had just woken over the horizon in the last hour. Waiting a beat to make sure Stefan wasn't around she slipped off her shoes and allowed Colby to go inside. She frowned at the dirt that he was leaving on his trek across the hardwood floors but decided it wasn't important enough to worry about now anyway.

"Morning Care." Stefan greeted coming into the kitchen with a nodded and heading to the coffee pot. "You look terrible. Are you just getting in?"

"First of all, thank you for that." She deadpanned dropping her bag on the counter. "I was just taking Colby for a little walk." She easily explained, taking a seat at the breakfast bar. Stefan ticked his head to the side and leaned against the counter, taking a sip of his coffee.

"You are the worst liar." Stefan admonished with a grin, crossing his arm across his torso. "You didn't even come home last night."

"How do you even know that?"

"Because I check up on you, Caroline." He rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the counter and walked towards her. Offering his coffee, she gratefully took it and winced at the hot liquid. "Also, you never take your shoes off when you come inside except for when you're sneaking back in. You did it all the time in college."

Caroline glowered. "Sometimes I really hate how well you know me."

"Nah." Stefan smiled with satisfaction. He popped open the microwave and grabbed the plate inside and set it in front of her. He removed the paper towel over it to reveal an omelet and bacon. "You don't hate that I know what you like for breakfast, now do you?"

Stabbing her fork into the omelet she smiled at him. "Maybe still a little bit."

"Were you with Klaus again?"

"Maybe." Came out her garbled reply as she stuffed some egg into her mouth. She blushed reflecting on their day and long evening and the heavy petting session that ended it all as the bonfire died out in front of them. It had made her feel sixteen and invincible all over again. "Yes, I was."

"Is this going to be a habit from now on?"

"Maybe." Caroline answered again with a shrug. Wiping her mouth, she drank some more of the coffee to clear her throat. Stefan laughed and took a seat beside her. She looked at him after a moment of hesitation. "Would that be a problem?"

"No." he replied tenderly gazing at her, propping his elbow on the counter with his head in his hand. "Honestly, I haven't seen you this full of life in a long time, Caroline."

Without permission, she flushed again thinking about her time with Klaus over the last two weeks. Even when she was yelling at him, she was still enjoying him. She spoke of her childhood and her parents, the summers spent at the beach. He had told her stories of growing up with his siblings and the many antics they would find themselves in. Time, for once, hadn't been a burden as they talked well into the dusk and night and into the morning. She had sleepily dropped him off at his studio and he had placed a soft kiss on her cheek as a farewell.

"Do you remember a few months ago I asked you to draw up some mock plans for a side project I was considering?" she gulped back another sip of coffee as Stefan nodded in acknowledgement. It was bad enough she was hiding her illness from him, she didn't want to hold anything else back. "I bought a house, out on John's Island. It's on the lake."

Stefan's eyebrows quirked up in surprise. "Oh."

"Not for me." She quickly explained, biting her lip. "I bought it for my mom. I've been working on it during the weekends trying to get it ready. I wanted to give it to her as a gift."

"You could have told me, Care. I would've have helped you."

"I know." Caroline was relived his tone wasn't accusatory or angry. "I just needed to do it on my own for a little bit. But Klaus helped me yesterday with a lot of the work.

He gave her the once over. "Are you sure that's all he helped you with?"

"God, you're such a guy." She rolled her eyes, picking up her plate and rinsing it in the sink. After she was done she spun around, placing her palms against the counter. "You don't think this is silly?"

"The house? Or Klaus?"

"The house." She responded quickly and frowned. "Klaus. Both." She shook her head. "I don't know anymore.

"Have you made a pros and cons list yet?" he teased, ducking as she threw a hand towel at his head. Chuckling, he playfully snapped the towel against her hip. "Pro, equity is always a great thing to have. Pro, it has a lake. Pro, if your mother doesn't want it, it will make a great weekend getaway in the summer."

"Con, what if Sheriff Forbes won't take it. Con, what if I can't get it done in time?"

"Done in time for what?" he asked perplexed, taking a sip from his own mug of coffee. Caroline faltered, cursing herself for allowing such a slip up. The look of concern on Stefan's face was enough to want to make her confess her secret right there in the middle of their kitchen. There was a flicker of recognition and he smiled. "Probably for Christmas, right? It is your favorite holiday after all."

"Right." The word came out in a strangled whisper and Caroline spun around back to the sink to clean up the rest of the dishes, giving her face a welcome relief from Stefan's scrutiny. Her small background in college drama was doing her no favors has she struggled to hold back her tears. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself just as Stefan saddled up beside her.

"You can leave those; I know you're probably tired from the giant pro list you just made with Klaus."

"You're literally never going to let me live this down, are you?"

"Do you remember junior year of college when I hooked up with Katherine?"

She winced and stilled her hands in the water. "Ok look-"

"Heard about that for years and that was drunken one night stand at Halloween." He smiled with mock sincerity. "So, no cupcake, I'm never gonna let you live this down."

"This is different." She pulled the plug from the drain and watched the water swirl down. Flicking her hands of the water she took the dish towel from Stefan's outstretched hand. She narrowed her eyes with a mischievous glint and smirked. "Pro, he has great hands."

Stefan glowered.

Caroline's triumph grin grew wider. "Pro, he has an accent." Stefan stepped away from the counter and shook his head as he exited the kitchen. Caroline threw the towel down and followed him down the hallway, yelling after him as he had his hands on his ears. "Pro, he has the softest lips!"

Reaching the living room, she sprung jumping on his back, wrapping her legs around his waist. She pulled the hands from his ears and pinned them down to his chest. He grunted in protest as he made the way to the couch and heaved her over the back. She dropped with a dull thud onto the cushions but didn't release her grip and pulled him down with her with an oomph. They both erupted into laugher as she draped her arms around his torso and squeezed him tight against her relishing in the happy moment she was experiencing with her best friend; moments that would soon not come. As he patted her hands across his chest adoringly, she hoped this is how he would remember her.

"Pro, he's pretty damn lucky to have you, Care."

* * *

So full disclosure, it was seeing some videos of Steroline on Youtube that kept me invested in the TVD when I first started watching it on Netflix. I thought they had so much potential just based on videos; but seeing it played out and watching it over again, I'm not convinced that was her epic love. I had no idea the wallop of love I would eventually have for Klaroline though. I adore the Steroline friendship though so that's what I'm choosing to write in this story.


	8. Chapter 8

Hey all! Thanks to everyone who is reading and leaving me love in the reviews. They make my cold dark heart so warm and fuzzy. This chapter was actually not planned at all; it was some comments in the reviews that spawned the creation of this and I'm pretty pleased with it; there are some moments in here that have actually been my favorite with them. I have this story written out until chapter 12; I'm trying to stay 4 chapters ahead before I post. I'm very impressed with my dedication to this story. We're only a third of the way in, so keep with me kiddos. Leave me some love to brighten my day and keep me inspired!

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TwilightHybrid- There are a few things that need to happen before Klaus finds out about Caroline. It's...intense. But he's definitely sticking around. I think you'll enjoy the Hope interactions.

MAR30- The what ifs of Steroline haunt me had it not been for the awfulness of Damon and Elena (Who you'll notice are not and will not be in this fic because bleh) and of course the wasted potential of Klaroline on not one, but two shows. Poor Caroline.

Guest- How Caroline's illness comes out is dramatic. And heartbreaking.

Guest-I'm enjoying developing these two as they navigate closer together.

Ilovetvd- Thanks for the kudos. I find myself immersed in fics in the middle of the night too so I feel you.

Guest- Klaus and Elijah is delicate. I started this fic prior to diving into the Originals and I was going to have them way more against each other. But I rather enjoy their crazy relationship and it will be important later. Steroline friendship is my favorite. And then Caroline and Enzo (But I feel like I for real suck at writing Klaus so I am not attempting Enzo. He may show up with Bonnie at some point but we'll see.)

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Chapter 8

Monday morning had come seemingly all too quickly. Stepping back from her workspace, Caroline found she was pleased at her arrangement. She had laid out each of the various options and stylings, color coded to perfection and was happy with what she had come up with it. Nervously, she glanced at her watch, annoyed that the tiny hand had moved only the tiniest of space in the short time she had checked it last. Her first working day with Klaus was turning her into a ball of nerves and she couldn't pin point why.

They had worked in tandem perfectly at her mother's lake house and their flow has easily transitioned into playful banter and conversation. She had kept things light during their time apart on Sunday; a few flirty text messages and a stern and professional warning that work started 9 am sharp and she wouldn't be waiting for him. His response in the form of a winky face was giving her little ease to subdue both her building desire for him and the fear of what would come of it.

Speaking with her doctor that morning, she had agreed to a follow up appointment the following Monday. She was dreading it but she had deflected long enough in the matter. As much living as she had been the doing the past few weeks, she had to come to terms with her dying. Looking at the folders laid out in front of her she thought of all the decisions she had made in regards to fabric and color and tile. It all seemed easy, natural, even important to the project in comparison to the internal turmoil that plagued her in her decision to treat her cancer and when to involve the people in her life.

Her eyes flicked up at the thump of boots coming down the stairs and her annoyance was evident as Klaus landed on the bottom step, his grin and dimples accompanying the coffee in his hands.

"Don't frown, love." He admonished playfully as he placed a cup in her hands. "I come bearing gifts."

She clicked a few things on her phone and showed him the screen. "Four times. That's how many times I told you that we start at 9. What time is it now?"

"Time is such a dreadful burden." He teased, his eyebrows raising as he took a sip of his coffee. She placed her hands on her hips and he hid his amusement in her temperament behind his cup. Picking up on of her colored folders, she swatted him with it on his chest and he fumbled to keep the coffee in both his mouth and in his cup. "Was that really necessary."

"It sure felt that way." She retorted, slapping the folder back on the desk. "Now can we please get started?"

He gestured dramatically in front of him. "Of course, led the way."

Rolling the blueprint out across the desk, she weighed down the curled edges with her phone and her planner and waited impatiently for Klaus to join her. His stroll was effortless as he made his way to her and stopped short just behind her, his torso against her back and his head leaning over her shoulder. Although not all together unpleasant, it was distracting as she tried to find her voice.

"Ok, so the bar wasn't initially a part of project. Elijah thought it would be a nice addition so Stefan threw this together." She pointed to the right side of the print. "Bar along that wall and curved around. Raised booths around the perimeter of the room and in the center a dance floor. There will be a small stage along the far wall for bands."

"Jazz, I hope." He murmured against her ear and she fought the shiver it brought on. "It would be appropriate for the feel you're going for."

"Yes," she agreed crooking her head to glance at him. "ideally it would be jazz and swing bands but we'll need something to tailor to different crowds. I'd imagine Elijah will hire a bar manager for that."

He pivoted his body further into her. "You're determined to bring him up at every turn."

"You've caught me." She held her hands up in spirited surrender and he scowled. "Oh, come on! He's your brother and I know you have a ton to choose from but he's clearly your favorite even if you're currently sour with him."

"That's placing it lightly." Taking a peek at one of folders briefly, he sighed. "You won't give this up, will you?"

"Nope." She sing-song with a smile. "When you're ready, I have a list of things you can do to as a way to bond with him."

"Of that I have no doubt."

"Being his best man is at the top of that list, in case you were curious."

"Rest assured, I was not."

Rolling her eyes, she plucked one of the folders up and opened it up. "You're such a drama queen. Fine. Whatever. How about you tell me what you think of this pattern. Do you think you can manage that?"

"I think it would make a lovely dog bed for Colby."

"This is hand woven in Italy." Her tone was incredulous, her mouth slightly ajar. "You are nuts if you think that anything this refined would come in contact with that big dopey wolf. And I was so sure you had taste." She mocking sighed. He thumbed through a few of the swatches before settling on one and studying it. Caroline was delighted at the choice; it had been a top contender. "There's hope for you after all."

"You know, we never did get to take that field trip the other day." He peaked up at her tentatively as he continued his perusal of the fabric.

"It's 9:30 in the morning." She deadpanned and he chuckled. Giving him a pointed look, she stepped away from him and crossed her arms over her chest. "There are no bars open. Besides, you gave me your word you would take this seriously."

"I am sweetheart!" he snickered, his palms out in front of him. "I'm here am I not? Present and accounted for. Put me to work." She relented, released her arms to her sides. "But I insist on this field trip at some point. Research purposes of course."

"Seriously." She muttered, rolling her eyes and sorting through the folders on her desk. She was caught by surprise as he curved her chin upwards, capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. Her annoyance was significantly less, but present as her tone was gentle. "Seriously."

"I've been waiting to do that all morning."

"And yet, you were still late."

X-x-X

"You're a terrible influence."

She was scolding him, but she was still smiling as she took a small nibble of the pastry in her hand. Without thinking of how intimate the gesture was, she offered to him and he bent his head wordlessly and took a bite. Blushing, she quickly finished off the last bit and tossed the wrapper into a nearby trashcan. They moved wordlessly through the thick of the crowds, her body against his, his hands finding her hips on more than one occasion.

After hours of hammering out some of the less important details and deciding to do a small rearrange of the space, they had settled into a comfortable debate of wits over choices ranging from accent metal to tile backsplash. While she had spent hours meticulous researching and picking out options from the fabric and flooring to the barstools and lighting, he was without much effort denting her options with points of contention. She hated to admit that every point he made in opposition was valid one.

Fighting with him seemed to further encourage him, but she couldn't bring herself to stop. Needing a break, she had allowed him to talk her into a short walk to the City Market; a four-block complex that housed varying merchants selling everything from paintings to pottery. There was a small deli within one of the sheds where they both had a light lunch. Now they found themselves enjoying the last bit of dessert as they walked along the blocks of goods.

"What made you quit your head-hunting gig?" the question was random, she knew but she was curious of his life prior to now. The small mention he had made of it previously didn't sate her enough. He seemed uneasy about the question but not defensive which put her at ease. "Were you any good at it?"

"Naturally." He responded, the pride evident in his voice, his attention momentarily distracted by a display of hand carved wine screws. He focused his interest back to her. "It grew tiring. The travel was tedious and I started to lose thrill of the hunt. Hope was an infant at that point, and Hayley took a job here, and at that time in my life it seemed like the natural progression to things. I had always wanted to open a gallery; my pal Marcel had the ideal property. It would seem that everything appeared to line up. It was very much a why not now, and if not now then probably never situation."

"And Elijah? He was here already or he came after?"

"What do you think brought Hayley here in the first place?"

She peered up at him, the small crease between her eyes evident. "Yea, you haven't really explained that whole dynamic. You had a child with her but now your brother is marrying her? I don't get it."

His palm wrapped around her elbow and lead her to a table filled with hand blown glass, placing her figure in front of his to get a better look.

Gingerly, she picked up a bowl crafted with a swirl of azure and turquoise glass.

"Sea glass." He explained, his fingers ghosting over hers as he pointed out some of the imperfections. "I think they would make a lovely addition to the bar." She looked at him with a quirked eyebrow and he frowned. "I didn't just drag you down to the Market for pastries and distractions. You were rather persistent that I would have to take this seriously to work with you."

Picking up another piece she admired the flecks of violet and ruby that adorned the design as he resumed talking.

"Elijah met Hayley was she was still pregnant. He was visiting me and Rebekah and then I got called away on a work assignment." He moped a little at the memory, as he continued looking over the various pieces. "They grew close while I was away and continued on with things behind my back for quite some time. It didn't go over well with me as it wasn't the first time he had gone out of his way to be duplicitous."

"The noble Elijah has a more corrupt streak?"

"We shared the affections of a girl in school." Klaus explained, placing a hand on her lower back and leaning across the table to pick up a plate. "She chose me at first, but then there were discretions with Elijah. We've never really gotten over the lot of it all."

"Did you love her?"

The question caught him off guard, and he allowed his hand to fall from her back. "No. I certainly thought I did at the time but it was of little consequence in the grand scheme of things."

"And you weren't in love with Hayley." She concluded, her lip turning down on one side as she contemplated. She then shrugged with indifference. "What if you just get over it, Klaus? By your own admission, it's been quite a bit of time for you and both woman you didn't have any real connection to. And it's your _brother_. You share blood, and a family, and okay maybe one too many women, but it's been years."

"Your opinions are noted." His reply was short and gruff and he moved to take a step away from her. She tugged his shirt at his side and hauled him back into place beside her.

"Those vases are beautiful." She pointed to the tall and slender opaque glassware at the back of the table in an effort to distract him. "They would go well on the tables in the booths."

"Is that an admission that I did something well?" The tension he had was dissipated as he nuzzling her neck before strolling away from her out into the afternoon sun. She found herself longing for more than the temptation of the kiss he should have left on her skin.

Carefully she set the dish in her hands down, grabbing a card and following him out into the busy street. She observed him a few feet away speaking to a young boy, baskets hand woven by Gullah sweetgrass cluttered around his feet. The expression on his face was of curiosity and endearment and he slipped a few bills into the boy's hand and accepted a woven rose in return. The color that creeped on her cheeks was hidden by the heat of the sun bearing down on them as he held her out for her to take.

"What if we took the rest of the afternoon off? I want to show you something."

X-x-X

Finding that her hand slipped very easily into his as they navigated through the thick of Meeting street and over to King did nothing to quell her nervousness. Her breath hitched as they reached the brick façade of their destination. It was foreign, the wave of nostalgia she already felt about his gallery and their first encounter with one another. It felt almost like another lifetime ago; her world tilting on its axis to finding the man before her now leading her into his gallery, another adventure, a life altogether she couldn't have imagined that morning in her doctor's office.

They passed the statue of the small child and she wondered idly if it was his daughter, the curls sculpted on her head familiar as she followed him past it and further into the portico. His hand did not waver away from hers as he led her through some of the exhibits on display. On the far wall was a cluster of black and white photos; a still of children frolicking in the pineapple fountain at Waterfront park, a close up of a woman with freckles and curls in the midst of a laughter, an older woman weaving sweetgrass baskets on the corner with her wrinkles making a statement at the centerpiece.

"A local photographer; he's nineteen and the only equipment he has is a relic of a 35mm camera. He set up a dark room in his parents' basement and works full time at the local grocery." Klaus explained at Caroline continued her study of the photos. It was effortless to get lost in her focus and attention to each piece as they come upon it. "He says he likes to capture humanity in motion, the emotion of joy and kindness and euphoria. He's a fascinating lad to talk to you."

Squeezing his hand, they continued their journey to the back showcase of the gallery. Lining the stark white walls were various paintings of the solar system lined up in order from the sun to the small desolate and outed planet Pluto. She found herself drawn to one towards the end, it's ever present rings on proud display. Pulling away from him, her fingers trailed down his palm until the very last fingertip as she took a few quiet steps to gather a closer look at the painting. He gave her several minutes in quiet contemplation before he stepped beside her.

"Would you believe a fourteen-year-old painted this?"

Tilting her head upwards to look at him, her lips parted in disbelief.

"She said that she wanted to paint something that maybe a child would have perspective on." He outlined the vibrant rings around the photogenic planet, his fingers ghosting over the mirage of colors. "What do you think she captured?

"Infinite." Caroline whispered after a long pause, breathless as she took in the enormity of the emotion, her eyes roaming from corner to corner of the piece. His focus tore from the painting to the animation of her features as she continued her explanation. He found it fascinating to experience the art for the first time all over again, through her interpretations. "Her whole universe here. And there," she motioned to the edges of the canvas. "in the dark vacuum of space, she still sees light. Saturn is in front, but the Sun is the focus. I think she's seeing beauty in life, with light."

"Much like you." Her brow furrowed at the look he was giving her and he continued with a warm smile. "Bursting of life. Beautiful, so full of light. I'm quite fond of that in you."

"Thank you for the private tour." She totally deflected his compliment as she struggled to keep the pink from rising to her cheeks at his admission. "It's admirable; the work that you show here. It's not famous or pretentious. It's real. And what you're doing for these artists, these kids, goes beyond a belief in their work. It's displayed for the world. They have something to be proud of." She bit her lower lip and glanced at him. "Can I see more of your work?"

His happiness at her request was evident as he nodded. "Up the stairs," he directed standing to the side so she could go first. "You're familiar with that area already."

Giving him a coy smile over her shoulder she led their assent up the stairs into the loft part of the gallery. The overhead sun shone through the skylight illumining the various pieces displayed around the exposed brick walls. The infamous Tuscan landscape was still front and center but she found herself pulled to a large piece to her left that took up the majority of the wall space. He hung back in silence as she searched the various lines and hues on the canvas before her. Eyeing him from beneath her lashes she hesitated but then found a solid fortitude as she spoke.

"It's a self-portrait."

He grinned, very pleased with her assessment of the painting in front of them. She tilted her head slightly to her right, her eyes squinting just the slightest. Taking a step closer she examined the various colors and strokes, Klaus found him enjoying the furrowing of her brow the more she studied his muddled version of himself before them. Finally, she took a step back and looked at him expectantly.

"Well have it, love."

"It's a metaphor." She softly bit the bottom of her lip for a moment before continuing. "You choose a hurricane because they're powerful and destructive; but driven and steady. It knows its course and it stays until it reaches its destiny." He continued his smirk at her assessment. "But, the placement of the storm and its color is far more telling."

"As much as I hate to step on your toes, I feel you're reaching." His smile faltered just enough for her to notice. She continued with a new determination.

"A hurricane is at its strongest point over water. It begins to lose dominance once it makes landfall. You see, it's over land here." She traced along the edges of the painting. "It's also red. I think you wanted it to portray fury and danger," she peaked up at him, his eyes steady on the painting, his jaw clenched. "But what I think it actually means is passion and adventure. Maybe even love."

The last word dropped out as a whisper from her lips. His head snapped to in her direction, his blue eyes deepening into hers.

"What if it's actually not a self-portrait? It's actually about the hope you have."

"No one has ever caught that it was fronting itself to be a self- portrait." He murmured, lost in his thoughts as he studied his own creation. He stepped closer to the painting and to her, but kept a small distance between them as he clasped his hands behind his back. "It manifested at a time in my life a few years ago when everything I could ever want and everything that could threaten that were at odds with one another. This was a way to control that."

Her hand snaked up his back on his shoulder as comfort and she leaned her head against his arm. Relaxing after a pause, he snuck his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She could understand the sentiment exactly. The turmoil encasing her life had left her reeling. The more she sunk into the emotions behind the painting, the more she could sense the sorrow in the swirls, the longing, the devastation.

She had never related to anything more.


	9. Chapter 9

Here's the deal kiddos...I'm in the process of writing chapters 11 and 12 and I am having terrible writers block. I know what I want to accomplish but the words are just bleh. So I am posting this new chapter despite not being as far along as I would like to be in hopes that you'll take pity on me and leave me some lovely reviews and inspire me to keep this thing moving. Chapter 13 is like 99% a lock for when Klaus finds out about Caroline's illness. I just want to bang my head with trying to get these two to dialogue in 11 and 12-because it is about 95% Klaroline talking.

Anyway, I appreciate all the follows and dedicated reviewers but I would love to hear some more from you guys! It makes my whole day. ( I may or may not have an entire folder dedicated in my email inbox to your reviews)

Guest-My headcanon is that Klaus is much more into fabric and tile selection than he lets onto ;)

ilovetvd: I don't want to write her suffering that's for sure.

Guest: I'm not knowledgeable about art by any stretch of the imagination so writing the scenes where they are talking about paintings makes me super anxious. So fun fact, is that I have an entire document dedicated to scenes I have thought of and written out but haven't come along in the story just yet. The bit about the hurricane was written even before chapter one; it was one of the first two scenes I wrote for this story. I just had to find the right place to put it. Another one is the last part of this chapters.

TwilightHybrid: I think the chapter where he discovers her cancer will be the most sad so far for sure. I haven't figured out exactly how I'm breaking it to Liz, Stefan and Bonnie but those will be tough ones for sure too.

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Chapter 9

"Hello?"

"In here!"

Klaus followed the voice down the long hallway into the kitchen. As he walked through the familiar house, he reflected on his time with Caroline; the many adventures they had already enjoyed and especially their week working side by side. He was finding it difficult to be away from her the longer time went on. It made his heart swell with both longing and fear in equal measure; it was an emotional war he was unfamiliar with.

Once he entered the kitchen he looked around and stood at the counter. "Where's the little bird?"

"Outside with Kol." Hayley kicked the fridge shut with her foot, as she placed the plate of fruit in her hands on the counter. Pushing her long dark curls from her face she gave Klaus a warm smile. "You're early."

Hayley had been a work colleague from his time in Chicago. The pair had a rocky relationship; everything from butting heads of work tactics to arguments over what restaurant to eat at. When it came down to the brass tacks of the job however, they were in perfect sync and had a nearly perfect tract record in their mutual hunting abilities.

There was never much of an ounce of an attraction between the two; Klaus didn't quite fancy her dark hair and piercing eyes, but appreciated her natural leadership to a fault. A particular solid close had brought out the good bourbon and the last of their inhibitions. The next morning, they had grimaced and rolled over, vowing to never speak of the discretion again. It was a mere three months later that Hayley had discovered her growing womb and they set out on a tumultuous path to being parents.

"Apologies-"

"No, no." she waved her hands dismissively. "It's actually perfect. I have to go out of town for work this weekend and this saves me the hassle and worry of leaving her with Kol."

"Work keeping you busy?"

"Yes…" she eyed him curiously as she drew out the word. He was never one to ask about the particulars of her life in general much less about her profession. "Are you okay?"

"I'm seeing someone." He blurted and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. She was sure she had never heard him say anything without careful thought beforehand and never had she thought she would hear those words in particular. His face was a mask of embarrassment and confliction and it was difficult to stifle the small laughter bubbling at the surface.

"Oh-" she chocked on the words, unsure of the correct response. "Okay…That's great."

"Don't be patronizing." He deadpanned, placing his palms flat on the counter. "I don't owe you any explanations of course, considering."

"Don't be an ass." She admonished, tucking some of her belongs from the counter into her bag. His mouth opened in response but closed just a quickly with an unresolved response. "That's it?"

"I just," he started, his teeth clenching when he struggled for the words. "I was thinking that you might be alright with her joining me and Hope for our weekend together."

"Oh." Her response dropped out of her lips, the end of the word ending on a lower note. The request was so out of character for the man she shared a child with. She had never seen Klaus ask for permission for anything.

Before she could formulate a response or even an opinion, their daughter came bounding into the kitchen all grins and giggles as Kol chased after her. Her face brightened and her smile grew once she noticed Klaus and within a few moments she was bounding into his arms, her small legs wrapping around his waist. He held her firmly in a bear hug, his hand holding her head in place against his shoulder. It never ceased to amaze Hayley the transformation from stone to ash once Klaus had his daughter in his arms.

"Hi Daddy." She removed her head from his shoulder and placed an Eskimo kiss on his nose.

"Hello, little bird." He gave her another squeeze and set her down on the tile floor. "Are you giving your Uncle Kol a hard time?"

"She's a bloody bat out of hell." Kol finally made his way into the door, his hands on his knees struggling to catch his breath. Hayley gave him a look a disapproval with only prompted Kol to grin bigger. "She's a right prat, that one. Downright devilish if you ask me."

"We didn't." Hayley and Klaus answered to together with a pair of smirks. Kol frowned as Hayley continued. "Hope, go gather your things upstairs and then come back down to eat a snack before you go with your dad."

"Darling, we must discuss your utter lack of refreshments." Kol held the both fridge doors open and peered inside. "There's not a spot of spirits in here."

"Hope." Hayley gently commanded once more. The little girl sulked as she glanced up at Klaus. He nodded with an affection rub of her head before she skipped off down the hall and up the stairs. "Kol-really? We don't keep a distillery handy. This isn't your brother's house."

"Not yet."

"Enough, Kol." Klaus commanded despite Kol's utter amusement at his wit. "Bugger off already."

"So, anyway. This woman you're seeing. Who is she?"

"Nik is admitting seeing a woman? Fancy that, indeed." Kol drew himself on top of the counter, his absolute comic relief at the information overwhelming him. Klaus winced and Hayley at least at the grace to look mortified. "Well go on brother, do tell."

"She's the designer for Elijah's restaurant-"

"Oh, so Elijah knows her." Klaus grimaced and sighed. Hayley found his response to her statement very intriguing. She had a bemused expression as she leaned against the counter and took a sip from her bottle water. She hazard a guess as to his bizarre reaction. "But Elijah doesn't _know_."

"And it's not your place to tell him." He threatened, his stare heeding towards Hayley first and then Kol. "That goes for you too, Kol."

Hayley held up her hands in mock surrender. "Hey! We're not married yet. I can keep a secret." She nodded to Kol. "That one you may have to dagger to keep quiet but my lips are sealed."

"What a scandal!" Kol clapped his hands in glee. "Elijah is going to go mad."

"You! Out!" Klaus jerked his brother by his collar and off the counter before he shoved him towards the hallway and out of the kitchen. Kol continued guffawing as he left Klaus and Hayley in the kitchen and made his way upstairs. Hayley had her hand to her mouth trying desperately to contain her laughter but failed after a few moments, the mirth tumbling from her lips. Klaus scowled but found it hard to stay that way, joining in with her after a beat. He hung his head down as he pressed against the counter. "Best get on with any ribbing or qualms you may have."

"Look," Hayley slowed her chuckling down to a few short breaths. "you don't need my permission. You would break armies and destroy the masses for that little girl upstairs. I don't doubt for a second that you will do anything to jeopardize our daughter."

He looked up at her in surprise.

"Oh, come on." She placed on hand on her hip. "It's not like I have a leg to stand on. I didn't tell you about Elijah. But we are partners regardless and we've always had each other's back. Do you remember when Hope was little and we had that awful fight about me taking the job here. We were screaming at each other, you threw my favorite crystal vase to the floor…"

"That thing was horrendous-"

"And you punched my wall." She continued with a look of reprimand. "I never did get my deposit back from that, thank you very much."

"You fared well enough it seems."

"The point is, while we were carrying on like a pair of banshees, our kid was taking her first steps."

Klaus lips parted at the memory, a small intake of air coming into his lungs. It was a large turning point for him; the curiosity and wonderment in the expression of his daughter's face and the depth of anger that swirled in him. It was by far his least proud moment. Without a word, Hayley had squatted down to hold out her arms and Klaus had quietly dropped beside her slinging one arm around her shoulder. United, he held out the other hand for his daughter to step into their embrace.

"All that anger and bluster was only about you being afraid."

"Afraid?" he scoffed, spinning his eyes. "I can assure you, that's a stretch of the imagination.

She kinked her head to the side and pursed her lips. "You didn't come here to ask my permission. You wanted an easy out because you're scared. Just like you were then. We'll you're not getting it from me. Hell, set me up with this woman so I can buy her a drink for putting the fear of God into the almighty Klaus Mikaelson."

"Your delusions knows no bounds, I see."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "We made a vow that night to each other. We would always put her first, second, third; and you and I would be united with that. You've never not kept your word, Klaus. I trust your decision with this. You should trust it too."

There wasn't a single doubt in his mind about how Caroline would be with his daughter. She was nothing but a bundle of joy and light, and he knew that the day he had planned for the three of them would be yet another adventure. He wasn't worried about Caroline fitting into their little niche he and his daughter had carved for themselves, and he wasn't concerned with the two of them getting along. What frightened him, what he was all too terrified to admit was just how important she was becoming to him. The more she integrated into this life and his family and his being, the more his fear grew and the harder it was to keep it at bay.

"I'm not troubled with Hope in her presence."

A knowing smile curved up on her lips. "If that's your story."

X-x-X

Caroline shuffled her feet, squinting in the distance and against the sun despite the aviator sun glasses perched on her nose. She was exceptionally nervous at the prospect of meeting Klaus's daughter. It appeared natural to agree to his request the previous weekend, but now, standing in front of the aquarium waiting for them it seemed like the worst idea she could have ever had. This was a huge stepping stone for any relationship and she wasn't even sure if that was what they were currently floundering in.

There had been no declarations or promises but she was finding herself pushing the bounds of even her most serious of relationships. Nagging in the back of her mind was the ever-present realization that there was an inevitable end to all of this one day at her own doing. Now, she was bringing yet another person into the mix, and worst yet a child who couldn't truly grasp the magnitude of loss at such an early age.

With one more peek at her watch she looked up, relief and apprehension rolling over her as Klaus strolled up with his daughter in holding his hand. He kissed her cheek softly and peered down at Hope.

"Caroline. This is my little bird Hope." Caroline crouched to Hope's eye level and pushed her sunglasses on the top of her hair. With much diplomacy, Caroline stuck out her hand. "Hope, this is my friend Caroline."

She smiled brightly as Hope hesitantly shook her hand and tried to reason with her internal self that how he introduced her was not important. "I have it on very good authority that they have a touch tank inside." Hope's eyes widened at the prospect. "I'm personally looking forward to the sting rays, but I think the crabs and urchins would be pretty cool, too."

"Aunt Rebekah doesn't like the sea animals, but Kol like to tease her with them when we go to the beach. I found a star fish and a hermit crab once when we went."

"I love the beach!" Caroline looped her hand with Hope's and stood up. It seemed very natural as Caroline led Hope to toward the entrance fishing out the tickets she had already purchased from the back pocket of her shorts. "I was stung by a jellyfish though and that was seriously the worst pain ever."

"Can the sting rays hurt you?"

Klaus followed them into the entrance to the aquarium as they prattled on about the various sea life they both enjoyed. There was brief stop at the beginning for a photo and Klaus scooped up Hope on his hip and placed an arm around Caroline, pulling her into his side for the shot. Throughout the tour, she was a vision of patience and animation as she answered each of Hope's questions and posing a few of her own to keep his daughter talking during their perusal of the various exhibits. Several times he had found the warmth of her hand slipping into his and he had graced his along the small of her back.

"WHOA!"

Before she could speak, Klaus was offering his own caution to Hope as the small child ran to the large expansive tank. She galloped towards the middle of the tank, her already small frame being swallowed nearly whole but the floor to ceiling wall of glass. Hope watched in wonderment as a various array of fishes and turtles and sharks swam around one another and in the tank.

Being smitten with the wildlife in front of her, Hope's attention remained rooted in the glass against her palms. Caroline sank down to sit on a bench in front to watch and after a moment of relishing what his daughter was experiencing Klaus sat down next to Caroline and covered her hand with his. There was a simple contentment rooting within her; that for just this moment, she was someone who had the warmth of the man beside her, the bliss of an afternoon well spent, the possibility of a future and she wasn't dying.

"This was a grand idea on your part. She'll be talking about this for weeks."

Caroline shifted her focus to him, interlacing their fingers together. "Thank you for letting me be a part of this. I'm glad I could be a good friend." The last word dripped with sarcasm as she stared straight ahead, the light of the water reflecting on her face through the darkness of the aquarium.

"Well don't sell yourself short, sweetheart. I thought you at least earned better marks than good."

"I thought I had earned better marks than _friend."_ She challenged the corners of her lips turning upwards, her eyes daring him to object.

He looked at her fondly and after a beat she swallowed the lump in her throat at his intense gaze. "We both know you're much more than my friend."

X-x-X

" _I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine. If I am to change this image, I must first change myself. Fish are friends, not food."_

"This is dreadful movie." Klaus whispered from his side of the bed which prompted a hearty eye roll from Caroline. "He's a bloody shark. It's in his nature to eat fish; it's the natural order to things."

"Seriously. It's a kid's movie. Which I think the kid certainly enjoyed it." Caroline gestured to the tuckered out five-year-old in between the two of them. Her head rested contently against Klaus's leg as her small feet dangled between the two of them at the head of the bed. "We really ran that kid into the ground today."

Hours at the aquarium had to led to a venture to cool off at Waterfront park. They had all splashed through the main fountain and dipped their feet in the Pineapple fountain. It was Klaus who proposed grabbing a pizza and heading to his condo for the rest of their evening. As Hope and Caroline belted out Disney melodies shouting out into the rolled down windows, Caroline realized that they were heading away from downtown Charleston and towards Folly Beach.

Dinner had lead to ice cream on the living room floor as Hope regaled them with tales of her school days. They had rounded out the evening with board games; Klaus had a particular annoyance that Hope knew what a Ouija board was (thanks Kol) that only grew when he was unable to beat the girls in a rousing game of Pictionary. With Hope fighting sleep, he had suggested a film in the comfort of his bed and the three of them had piled in to continue their sea adventure with Finding Nemo.

He nodded, casually picked at his daughter's feet. "I must confess, this is not how I pictured you being in my bed the first time."

Caroline stifled the fit of giggles erupting from her chest with the back of her hand over her mouth. Klaus slowly reached across the bed and captured her hand in his, tenderly pulling it towards his mouth and landing a kiss along each of her knuckles. He offered a gentle smile once he was done.

"Hello, love."

"Hi." She breathed, her grin growing in response. There was certain thrill that ran through her every time he said that to her. It was almost like he was saying it for the first time, every time.

"What do you say to me getting this bird into her nest for the rest of the night?" he proposed gesturing to the knocked-out child between them. She nodded happily in response and he reluctantly let go of her hand before scooping Hope up off the bed and quietly carrying her out.

Caroline clicked off the movie playing and tossed the remote onto the bedside table. Truthfully, she hadn't allowed herself to think about ever being in Klaus's bed. It was an invisible line she hadn't want to cross. There were blurred lines between them and she felt as if there was some alternate timeline where she had met him and she wasn't sick and he wasn't her client, it could have really been epic.

With that thought in mind, she eased herself off of his soft bed, her feet landing against the hardwood floor. The doors to the balcony were open and she could distinctly hear the waves of the ocean crashing against the shoreline in a rhythmic hum. Pattering against the old wood, she made her way to the outside, relishing in the cool breeze and salty air. She felt his presence as he stepped outside with her, his body getting close enough that she could feel the electricity between them but stopping just short of touching her.

"Elijah thought me mad for buying this abode." He finally spoke, hesitantly placing his hands on either of her arms at the tops and soothingly rubbing the goosebumps away. She found she liked the sensation of his skin against hers and without permission her torso relaxed into his chest. "It was outdated and out of shape. But this is such a fantastic vision."

The moon shone bright above them, the stars a welcoming companion of light. There was a certain contentless in his arms that she wasn't expecting but it was pleasant relief to the turmoil that stayed bubbling at her surface. Weeks of working side by side, his scent invading her, the thought of finally being able to touch him comfortably and now she rested in his strong arms. She swallowed down the doubt and reason in her that screamed how much it was a terrible idea and settled closer into his body.

"Thank you for today, with Hope." He murmured against her skin, his nose gently skimming against her neck. She shuttered against the contact, his words ghosting across her skin in a soft hum. "She was positively over the moon for you."

She spun in his clutch, her arms haloing around his head with her fingers tracing along the base of his neck. For a moment she resisted looking at him before giving in and falling into his soft blue eyes as they gazed down at her. They began to subtly sway with one another as he wrapped his arms around her small waist, hauling her flush against his body. She nestled her head against the steady thump of his heart.

"I understand the sentiment perfectly." She hummed, tightening her hold on him slightly. All the thoughts of what this would could potentially feel like, she wasn't prepared for how content she felt resting in the safety of his grasp. His hand wrapped around the curls of her head, a grip she recognized in both procession and protection, but also of pure desire. "Why do you call her your little bird?

She could feel him smile against her hair. "I'm ashamed to admit it now, but I refused Hayley when she first told me of her pregnancy. I raged and I self-destructed. I was determined to have nothing to do with it all but I still forced myself to her first doctor's appointment. The first time I heard Hope's heartbeat, it reminded me of a humming bird; something so small fighting so hard to just be alive. It made me want to fight for her."

Her own heart sped up in her chest at his words and she tightened her grip on him just enough to comfort herself. There was fight in her now, something- _someone,_ to fight for and the grief of knowing that she would never win in that war was enough to swallow her whole. In the arms of this man who was showing her a life she could have never imagined, she wanted nothing more than to lay her secrets bare.

"Speaking of fight, I was pleasantly surprised with your competitiveness tonight Miss Forbes."

She chuckled against his chest grateful for the reprieve of her thoughts. "Well in that case, indulge me some more." She encouraged, her fingers finding their way into the curls, twisting them around her grip. Klaus relished in her touch, stuck by how much lightness he felt, even with her head heavy against the pit of his heart. "What if…"

"I'll bite." He playfully nibbled on the bottom of her ear as the words left his lips. It felt incredible intimate to Caroline but she stayed rooted in her position enjoying the closeness that was enveloping them. "I do so enjoy indulging you…"

"What if…" she pulled away from him slightly as they continued their slow twirl around the balcony, the moon a lovely host to their dance. Offering him a small smile she waited a beat before speaking. "What if, you could attend any concert by anyone dead or alive? Who would it be?"

His hearty laugh shook both of them. "I'm going to surprise you with this."

"Oh, is that so?" both her eyebrows quirked up in a light amusement. He never failed at surprising her with his answers.

"I find the musical stylings of Freddy Mercury quite entertaining."

"Queen?!" the laughter filling her body caused her to momentarily bow but she never let her grip waver from his arms. She sputtered for a moment before sliding back into their former position, burying her head in his torso with more giggles. "I was totally expecting…"

"Bach?" he supplied and she erupted in another fit of giggling. "Beethoven? I assume it would rather appall you that I enjoy Elton John quite a bit as well?"

"David Bowie?"

"Bloody brilliant." He answered without hesitation at her inquiry. He found himself easily slipping into a chorus of laugher with her and he enjoyed the ease he felt at it. "It is my turn now?"

"Ask away."

"What if…"

A multitude of questions filtered across his mind. He knew so much about her already; she was remarkably open. She wore every emotion on her face, and he had taken the time over the course of the last few weeks to know things: her favorite flavor of ice cream (Tennessee Fudge), the way she took her coffee (more sugar and milk than coffee it seemed), the quiet strength she carried herself with, and more often than not her terrible taste in music with a special emphasis on boy bands and auto tune. Still, there was such a mystery around her, that he thought it would be impossible to ever stop learning about her; from her.

He bent down, brushing his lips across hers as she pulled him by his collar and melted into his embrace.

"That was the exact question I was hoping you would ask."

* * *

I realize that some people are not Hayley's biggest fan; and I seriously didn't like her in TVD. But in TO, I found her relationship with Klaus to be one of my favorite parts of the whole series. While I wasn't expecting to explore that necessarily here, it fit and will come into play later on in the overall arc of the story.

Kol is pretty fun to write; I like how much of an imp he is.

I don't like writing children-it probably shows. So while Hope will be a part of this story in some capacity, it won't be with her talking a whole lot. At the core of this story it's about Caroline and Klaus so I don't find it necessary.

Next chapter has:

Caroline at the doctor and a scene with Klaus and Elijah (Rebekah and Kol make an appearance)

* * *

Last thing!

Someone want to help me with the summary of this story? I totally suck at them and I particularly hate what I have for this one

Also, come see me on Tumblr: blog/a-man-da-jo


	10. Chapter 10

Hey all! Thank you so much for your lovely reviews; I got over the bulk of my writers block. I am currently in the process of writing chapter 14 and I unfortunately misspoke last note; this will be the chapter that Klaus finds out about Caroline. I've only written a page but woo, it is a doozy.

TwilightHybrid: I'm a huge fan of Hayley and Klaus partnership. I think their friendship is great. Personally I feel a lot of people in the fandom don't give Hayley a chance because A) in regards to Klaus she's not Caroline or Cami B) in regards to Elijah she's not Katherine C)the whole tribrid baby thing was a little out there D) she was garbage on TVD but I love her character on TO. I think she's strong and stands up to Klaus and is just a total badass. When I think about how she tried to help Cami and Rebekah and Freya...she redeemed herself in my eyes. Anyway, she will become important to this story later so that's why she's there.

Guest: I felt like this was the appropriate point to induce a scene with a doctor. There's an upcoming chapter that deals with Caroline actually being sick which wasn't fun to write but needed to be in there. You will see her strength come through the more the chapters proceed.

Ilovetvd/Guest: Not really sure what to say other than life is cruel? So part of what has inspired this story is a girl I work with was diagnosed with cancer and lived with it for months before telling anyone. And then it was this ripple affect of how it touched everyone in her life; her parents, siblings, co workers, friends so I wanted to explore that here. After chapter 14 I'm going to explain things a little more but I cant reveal too much just yet.

Guest: I'm glad you like Hayley in this story! Kol is going to be in the story more; in fact he will play a significant part in a scene later on. I'm happy you like the KC scenes. I'm so worried I'm not getting their tone or characters right. I read other fics and I can totally see them saying and doing those things so I hope that it's coming across that way to the readers.

Guest: "Hayley. ick." Entitled to your opinion but happy reviews are super cool too; nothing quite like the blissful feeling of seeing a review in your inbox and then opening it up to that. But that's fine if that's how you feel. You can hate her character and still be ok with her here. She's just a side character...

Anyway, reviews give me life and purpose and encourages my inner KC characters to communicate. Make my day and leave me one!

* * *

Chpt 10

"Stefan, I have everything ready for this afternoon. Relax ok? I'll see you when I get done with my appointment."

Caroline ended the call and tossed her phone in her handbag. The office she was in was warm and inviting; the light green walls covered with distinctive artwork and various frames full of medical degrees. On the desk were several pictures of a family full of smiles and promises. The large window to her right allowed all the sunlight of the morning in and the fish tank in the corner was still a reminder of everything that she was confined to. Despite the warmth, she idly wondered how many death sentences these walls had heard.

Her week had been busy, and it was easy to put off the inevitable follow up appointment that she had artfully avoided for weeks. The days had been spent working in tandem with both Stefan on final plans for the whole of the project and with Klaus on getting specific with the design of the lower bar. They had argued over tile and flirted over fabric and while there was an overarching desire for more, Caroline found herself keeping him at arm's length once more.

She had allowed stolen kisses in the darker corners of the restaurant and found her hand easily slipping into his as they walked to get coffee. Keeping him busy during the day meant that he had to make up work in the evenings at the studio which Caroline found was rewarding her the time to sort out what she was doing. The more time she spent with him, the more time seemed be an angry hunter in her life. Thinking about him over dinner as she sat alone, only made her long to be in his presence even more. It was getting harder to keep their connection from growing beyond the bounds she was comfortable with. Their weekend excursion with his daughter had proven to make that even more difficult.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting Caroline." Dr. Turner came in the office, shaking Caroline out of her reverie. She shut the door slipping easily into the chair behind her desk. Opening up the file in her hand, she spread out various sheets of papers and x-rays. "Have you reconsidered the options we went over during your last visit?"

"You mean, I choose to check myself in a hospice or I choose to die at home?" Caroline retorted, more rudely than she would have liked for herself. "Those aren't options."

"Caroline." The doctor sighed, removing her glasses and allowing them to hang against her chest. "I know this isn't easy. Have you told your family yet?"

"I have been dealing with more important things." Caroline responded, folding one leg over her knee. "Just because I'm dying, or that I will die doesn't mean my family, my friends won't be living after me. It's selfish to disrupt their lives."

She thought to her Sunday morning with Stefan; lounging on the couch throwing popcorn at one another as Colby happily cleaned up after them. She reflected on her celebration with Bonnie and how she was looking forward to their planned dinner date later next week. She mulled over her phone call to her mother; how the sheriff had listened with enthusiasm and pride as Caroline told her all about the restaurant and her vision for its creation. Finally, her contemplations settled on Klaus. Every possibility that he had laid bare to her with every caress and whisper and smile.

It provided no comfort for her that no matter what she did, she could give everyone everything she had and it still wouldn't be enough in the end. She was in a sinking ship and the splintered mass she clung to would provide no rescue or relief in the end. Every effort she put into being in control of what was left of her life, only seemed to derail her further. She had accepted her death sentence months ago when it was only a possibility. But now she was living with it, a morose companion as she travelled through the last of her days.

"Don't you think it may be a little selfish to not prepare them?" Dr. Turner interrupted Caroline's thoughts, locked her hands together and placed them on her desk. Her eyes were kind and knowing; an expression she has probably mastered over dozens of these exact same discussions. "Look, I only did one psychology rotation during med school, but I have had this conversation once or twice before. There is no right way to deal with this Caroline. When it was told to my husband, he didn't acknowledge it for weeks."

Caroline snapped her head up to meet the doctor's eyes.

"I don't tell that to my patients often." She explained. "I studied and dug in every study I could find. Logically, as a doctor I knew there was nothing I could do. I would wake up to a day where my husband was no longer there. But as a wife, as a human and a partner to him, I couldn't give up. Eventually we accepted what was granted to us and spent as much time as we could together."

"Was it enough?"

"We found that time is a trick, a figment of our imaginations. You make it enough." The woman before her smiled tightly, a ghost of sadness crossing her features. "Look, I can give you pamphlets. There are books you can read, and support groups you can join. Whether you want to acknowledge this now or weeks from now, I can't force you make decisions."

"I have acknowledged it." Caroline confessed, her focus returning to the bright fish contained to the small tank, swimming around the edges over and over.

"You like to plan right?" the doctor continued kindly. "You came into your first appointment with a thorough list of questions and a thick packet of medical research. What's changed? Have you given up?"

Caroline's throat was thick as she tried to speak. The tears she had held at bay released, a relentless march down the swell of her cheeks. She swallowed hard and shook her head gently. "That's the problem. I'm not giving up. It's now that I am finally living."

X-x-X

"Kol! Just sod off already!"

Klaus winced, his sisters shrill voice carrying throughout his older brother's home. Why Elijah had offered up his home to the lot of his more rambunctious siblings bewildered him, but he was at least grateful he wasn't putting up with the Rebekah and Kol nonsense. Not that having a perfectly good bedroom in Elijah's downtown loft had prevented Kol from crashing in his studio on more than one occasion.

"Ah Bex, come on! I fancy her. Just give me her number!"

He heard a door slam and then open, something breaking against a wall and then another bang of the door. Klaus made his way up the steps, the vision of Kol hammering on the door to Rebekah's room coming into his line of sight as he reached the top step. He casually stepped over what he assumed to be the remnants of Kol's shattered phone and suppressed his internal glee of Rebekah getting on up on his pesky little brother.

"Nik!" Kol greeted, his arms wide in show. "Bex, come on! Nik is here! Just let me in already or we'll huff and puff and blow the bloody door down!"

Rebekah flung the door open just as Klaus was reaching it, his patience wearing thin between his two siblings even if he had to admit that he enjoyed their quarrels. "Will you just leave me be? I might reconsider giving you Davina's number if you would for once let me work on my project. How do you think you'll fair in her graces if she finds out your disruptions caused my distractions on our shared project? Our shared grade?"

'How can be of assistance?" Kol mocked bowed down to Rebekah. She sneered slamming the door in his face once more. He sidled up to the door, his fist hitting it just once more. "You don't have to be such a prat you know!"

"Kol." Klaus caught his brother's attention with just the timbre of his voice. "Leave our sister alone to her devices. Your attention can be focused elsewhere."

"Well you haven't introduced me to the woman who manages to hold yours, so you'll have to direct my attention to something else."

Klaus rolled his eyes, clamping his arms behind his back as Kol bent down to pick up the pieces of his phone. "We spoke of this once before little brother. Liver, kidneys, take your pick. Now, where is Elijah? He's not picking up his phone."

"Relax Nik. The bloke's been on it all morning." Kol scooped up the rest of the plastic tossing the small pieces into the air with glee. "He's going to blow smoke when I tell him of my phone. I'm going to end up with a dreadful flip phone."

"It's not like it's undeserving you spiteful troll."

Klaus smiled at his sister's input from behind her closed door. "Do the two of you need a time out?"

"Lijah is in his study." Kol's impish grin was illuminating as she strolled past Klaus. "Probably busy planning the wedding."

Klaus frowned as Kol skipped down the stairs and Rebekah opened her door. "Thank heavens. He's been hounding me all morning."

"He gets nothing but joy from tormenting you, and pitting me against Elijah." Klaus responded with a shrug. He looked at his sister thoughtfully. "You'd be mindful to not fall into his devices. How's the transition into the new school going? I thought it might be tough with it being your senior year."

"Well I don't much care for my peers, dreadful cows." She scowled leaning against her door frame. "I rather enjoy my classes though. I think you would like my art class, much more thorough than the one in Chicago. The museums here don't compare of course but it will suffice."

As much as she was an annoyance sometimes, he would always hold a soft spot for his baby sister. Her first three years of university had been in Chicago, living with Klaus. When he had made the decision to move away and open the gallery in Charleston, it was an easy decision for her to be more central to the lot of her brothers. It was a welcome relief to see his sister much more involved with school and her future than with the string of boys she that she usually left in her wake.

"I still have to show you all of what New York has to offer."

"I think that sounds like a splendid graduation present in June." Her expression softened at Klaus's displeased features. "You look pensive brother. You alright?"

"Brilliant." He promised, kissing his sister's cheek. "Behave yourself. I'm going to go bugger Elijah."

His week with Caroline had proved to be equal parts enjoyable and taxing all in one swoop. He had relished in their playful banter and her passion around the project even when it was to the detriment of his ego. Savoring every touch she gifted, he had taken every demand and direction with only the smallest of resistance if only to see the rise of pink that flushed to her skin. With their time however, she had continued to sneak in nuggets of advice in regards to his distance with his brother. It was backhanded and cunning in how she chose to advise him; however, it was what brought him here now, standing in front of the large cherry door of his brother's study.

"I don't see how that matters at this point." Elijah swiveled his torso around to eye Klaus as he walked into the study. His brow furrowed briefly before he spun around back to the window he was facing and continued his conversation. "No, that would not be in your best interest. Of course not, that's just absurd. You would do best to settle this prior to my involvement in the matter. We'll speak later."

Klaus dropped in one of the leather arm chairs in front of Elijah's expansive desk, his feet propped on the distressed wood with flourish. "Someone dare giving my brother grievances that isn't me?"

"Niklaus." Elijah's disapproval of his brother's pose was evident as he unbuttoned his jacket and sat in his own chair behind his desk. "I'm stunned. I had all but assumed you didn't remember my residence. What with your lack of effort to ever show up to our weekly family dinners."

"Calendars are just dreadful things." Klaus waved his hand dramatically. 'Never cared much to be bothered with the nuances of time."

"What brings you here? Business with the restaurant?"

Klaus refrained every fiber of his being from rolling his eyes at the officiality of his brother. "Actually, I've been thinking quite often of our time together; our time growing up."

"Growing fond in your old age?"

"Senile is a safer bet." Klaus smirked and sat up straight, folding his hands together and leaning on his knees. He parted his lips in hesitation and look directly at his older brother. "Regretful, in fact." The slight tick in Elijah's eyes was enough to notate his surprise and trepidation. "Look, I'm not acknowledging error on my part but I'm willing to not dismiss your thoughts on the matters that divides us."

"Ah." A flicker of realization crossed over Elijah's features. "My upcoming nuptials to Hayley I presume. I know you're a little cross with me over it-"

"Little." Klaus scoffed and then swallowed, trying to reign in his frustration. "Yes, a little cross." He admitted finally and took a pause before continuing. Elijah remained a force of fortitude against showing anything he was feeling. "Tatia is actually who I was referring to. I knew of your affections for her and yet it did not deter me from trying to woo her away from you."

"That was ages ago." His brother tensed at the mention of their mutual school year flame. He smoothed out the front of his tie and Klaus's lips twitched just a small amount. Elijah was showing his uncomfortable tick and it please him that at least he had hit a nerve finally. "Tatia was a silly first love and no more real than my delusions of wanting to be concert pianist. We were children then and I've clearly moved on."

"Yes, with the mother of my daughter."

It was hard to keep the bite from his tongue as he spoke the words. He stood up suddenly, arms locked behind his back as his eyes perused the various frames adorning the office's walls. Through the boring prints and degrees hung around him were speckled frames filled with pictures of their siblings; Kol as he graduated university; Henrik riding a bike on the street in front of their childhood home; Bekah dolled up for homecoming. There was picture Klaus was unfamiliar with; a snap of the two of them probably barely in their formative teens years, Klaus's arm swung over Elijah's shoulders as they laughed and grinned at one another.

Gulping down the lump in his throat he noticed a group of papers haphazardly pinned on the wall in the corner. Taking a closer look, he barely heard Elijah's open mouth, a string of an explanation that he couldn't put into words. He had a similar arrangement on the fridge of his studio and along the top of the fireplace in his condo. It was various drawings, the clear musings an imaginative child; a jungle cat and a panda bear, the view of a sunset sinking into the ocean, and finally the one that had him wincing at the sight: a large home, green grass, white picket fence with a family holding hands in beside it. _Mom. Me. elijah._ Tacked above it was a smiling Elijah holding out the camera in front of the trio, his arm wrapped around Hayley, his daughter grinning toothless in the middle.

"She takes after her father, it appears." Elijah cleared his throat after an impossible silence had filled the room. "I think she needs some line work, maybe a course correction in color but a talent nonetheless."

"It's annoying and endearing in equal measure how she favors you, as well." Klaus tore his eyes from the paintings to look at Elijah. The wall was down, and he was displaying very clear disbelief on his face. "She reminds me a little of Henrik in that regard; studious and serious, they both favor you actually. It will be a good quality to have when she's trying to quell the temper she has inevitably inherited from me."

"I do not wish to replace you, brother." Elijah's voice was thick, his urge to subdue his brother's doubts and fears urgent in his reasoning. It was the most honest they had spoken to one another since they had come to blows in their teenage years. "I just wish to be honorable to Hayley, and Hope. And you."

"Do you remember that silly vow mother used to spout off about all the time?"

"Always and forever." Elijah nodded in remembrance and simpered. "Rebekah likes to bring that up from time to time when she's trying my patience to get her way."

Caroline was large catalyst to getting this conversation started with his brother, her relentless haranguing a fine art, but the truth was that he had been mulling it over for quite some time. Upcoming wedding plans aside, time was marching relentlessly on and his daughter was growing and changing before his eyes. His weekend with the her and Hope had shifted his perspective of things slightly. In the pit of his heart he knew that ultimately what was best for her was a united front not only with her mother, but with her future step father and his brother.

"Whatever your vows to Hayley may be, remember your vow to your family. Always and forever. For better or worse, Hayley is family, too. She is my partner with Hope. But you and I need to come to terms that you'll be raising my little girl. Our squabbles needn't stand of the way of that."

"Of course." Elijah vowed with a solemn nod. "You have my word."

Klaus trekked the short distance to his brother and clamped his hand down on his shoulder. "It's time you and I start over Brother."

X-x-X

"Why am I covered in paint, when you're the one in coveralls and holding a paint brush?"

Caroline's ranting echoed off the walls of the building as she shoved the roller that was in her hands against the chest of the man in front of her. He gave her a look of bewilderment as she stomped off away from him and to the construction workers in the corner of the building. Truth be told, she hadn't handled the visit at her doctor's office as best as she did the first time and it was souring her mood and quickly deteriorating her already short fuse.

"And you all!" Narrowing her eyes, she slammed her palm down on the boombox sitting on the floor, ceasing the profanity laced rapper from spewing any more lyrics. "This is a place a work! This is not your Saturday night dance club!"

The men cowered and nodded as she spun on her heel and trudged away from them. She had only taken a few steps when she halted and sighed at the sight of Klaus before her. He had his hands in his pockets, casually leaning against one of the frames near the entrance. His look was one of great admiration and amusement and he was bold enough to push himself off the wall and casually stroll towards her.

"And what about me?" he smirked just as he reached her, placing his hands on the top of her arms. Everything from the white tank top to the rolled-up jeans and the sneakers on her feet had some measurable amount of paint on them. He found her adorable angry and flustered. She immediately relaxed against his touch, blowing out her breath. "How am I doing?"

"You're…. you're perfect." She shrank her shoulders and looked up at him through her lashes. He was dressed casually in torn jeans and his staple dark Henley, speckling of paint spattered across the fabric. She wasn't aware of how much she needed to see him until he had appeared. "Which is so unbelievably annoying right now I can't even look at you."

"I thought it best we keep the status quo." He cupped her cheek gently and she quirked up an eyebrow. Settling things in a more pleasant place with Elijah had put him in a far better mood. "That is, you hell bent on keeping control and me falling at your every whim and grace. My apologies if it upsets you to be at your mercy."

She snorted and visibly relaxed in his touch. "I've had a terrible day."

"Trying days are my specialty." Her wiped her cheek of some of the paint that had found its way onto her skin. "And painting, not so much yours, hmm?"

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Someone had to paint the art walls!"

"Don't be angry with me, love." He pleaded, an underlying enjoyment to his voice. He licked the pad of his thumb and wiped her cheek once more, reminding Caroline very much of their first introduction. "I popped by in fact to see if you had a change of heart on your stance with surprises."

She eyed him curiously. "I'm warming up to them it seems."

"Excellent." He walked away from her to a rather large duffle bag settled at the entrance of the restaurant. Opening up the top he produced his spoils, laying them out on the floor in front of her. She had to take a few steps closer to get a better look, her eyes widening in realization.

"What the hell is that?"

"Our afternoon." His grin was infectious as it grew to display his dimples in full form. "Don't tell me you are afraid."

"Of course not." She sputtered, crossing her arms in defiance. "I just, I have to work. In fact, we have work all around us. There's work to be done."

"Nonsense." He dismissed, waving his hand and standing erect. He stepped over the objects he had just laid out and made his way back in front of her. Smirking, he twirled a loose curl of hers around his finger. "Quit. Immediately. I insist in fact." She laughed, the shocked expression wearing off her face quickly. "I tried to warn you from day one your boss would be a tyrant. We've been diligent all week with our work. What if you allow the practical side of you a rest for today."

"How do I let you talk me into these things all the time?"

"Easy," he winked, brushing his lips across hers. "It's the hopeful side of you winning out."

* * *

Not really sure if I'm great at nailing down the Elijah, Rebekah, or Kol characters but I'm giving it my best shot.

Next chapter: An adventure. (And I'm not super thrilled with my writing so I'm sorry in advance.)


	11. Chapter 11

Hey all. I appreciate everyone who is taking the time to read and review; specifically those that continue to review every chapter. Bless you. It's super special to me.

I'm not particularly thrilled with this chapter but I did my best. I have chapter 14 written (just finished it in fact) and it does have the reveal to Klaus about Caroline's cancer.

I'm not getting a ton of traction with this story and I get it because it's kind of sad and this fandom is super hard to break into it seems. But I'm trying to stay motivated to finish it the way I have outlined but it feels tough since I'm not sure if people are actually reading and enjoying it. I think there's only 10 or 11 chapters after 14 though so I'm trying to stay true to the story I want to tell.

I know everyone wants Caroline to be okay, and so do I! Not super sure how to end the story just yet to be honest. I have an idea but its pretty hazy right now and hopefully it will become more clear the more I write.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks!

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Chapter 11

"Of course you have a boat."

Klaus grinned as he tossed the bag in his hand onto the small speed boat. Easily jumping into the hull, he turned and held out his palm for her to take. She looked around for a moment in hesitation before reluctantly tucking her grip in his, stepping on the fiberglass and onto the floor of the boat. She watched him unhook all the rope that anchored them to the dock and step into the space in front of the wheel.

"Are you sure you can handle this?"

"Is that a challenge, love?" he smirked examining the instruments in front of him and turning some of the knobs. "I assure you, I can handle a multitude of things."

Sliding her hand seductively along the small of his back, she glided by him and took a seat on the bench at the back of the boat. "That remains to be seen." She placed both elbows on the stern of the boat and leaned back as he carefully observed her.

"Well be best get on with correcting that, hmm?" Her brow quirked up in response as he chuckled and started up the boat, pulling away from the marina.

Having spent a lot of her childhood on boats with her parents, she was comfortable heading up to the bow of the boat at he drove. He viewed her from his position at the wheel, the acceleration of the vessel forcing her hair to whip around her face. He relished in the sight of her sinking into the moment, closing her eyes at the feel of the wind and sun taking over her senses. Finding her lack of control at that instant and the freedom she was embracing was breathtaking.

Despite living only a short drive to the beach, Caroline hadn't been in quite some time. It was a deciding factor on her choice to live here; memories of her childhood summers and the calm of the ocean crashing against the shoreline among some of her favorite things. She contemplated more on some of her favorite pastimes; hiking with Colby, dancing with Bonnie, cooking with Stefan and it was overwhelming how desperately she struggled with being capable of letting them go.

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Klaus content with his helm a hint of a smile on his lips. His dimples were barely dented and even with the classic Ray Bans sitting on the top of his nose she could see how satisfied he was. He nodded at her, his lip twitching upwards in warmth and she had to turn back away from him to try and keep her emotions in check. Wrapping her arms around her body, she suddenly realized how incapable she was at being able to walk away from him now.

Slicing through the waves of the Atlantic, they headed south along the coast of Folly Beach and after twenty minutes he cut the throttle and slowed the boat down to a stop, dropping the anchor. He found her look of apprehension and determination to overcome it adorable as he set about to opening up the duffle bag on the floor. Squatting over his spoils, her glanced up, the expression on Caroline's face unreadable.

"You're not afraid, are you?"

"What?" she snapped her attention to him, letting go the bottom lip she was biting. "That's ridiculous. I'm an excellent swimmer."

He quirked up a brow. "Yes, but this is snorkeling. Have you never done this before?"

She offered him a dumbfounded look. "Seriously? They make this easy for five-year old's. I can handle it."

"And yet, when I brought Hope with me her demeanor was one of excitement and jubilee." He stood up and walked to the small cooler he had stowed away. Grabbing a bottled water, he held it out to her. "I hate to break it to you sweetheart but you're looking a little green around the gills."

"what if you just give me the damn mask." She cut her eyes and held out her hand to him ignoring the water bottle. As he made his way to get the equipment, Caroline slipped off the shirt covering her dark blue bikini and shimmied out of the khaki shorts covering her bottom. There as an audible intake of breath from Klaus as he rotated around to face her. She had to stifle her giggle at him as he fumbled with the mask, nearly dropping it on the floor as he drank in the sight of her. "You okay there, sailor?

Deciding to fight fire with fire, he tugged the collar of his own shirt from behind his neck and pulled the garment over his head, dropping it on one of the nearby seats. He took great pleasure in the bloom of pink that rushed to the surface of Caroline's cheeks as she soaked in the sight of him. Sidling up behind her, he went over how the mask worked, his breath fanning across her shoulders. She listened attentively, swaying back into his torso as the boat rocked gently in the waves. Finally, he assisted her with her fins, his hand lingering a little too long along the back of her calves.

"I assure you I won't let anything happen to you." He kissed her cheek and moved past her, easily jumping off the side of the boat into the water with a splash. Coming up at the surface he shook the water from his hair and grinned up at her as he treaded water. "Well get on with it love. I make no promises for myself but the fishes won't bite."

Sighing, she stepped off the boat and glided into the water with a small plop. He latched on to her waist immediately and helped her secure her mask on her face. Giving her a thumbs up as a question, she nodded once and he ducked under the surface, his hand finding her and pulling her down below. It took her a minute to adjust to breathing but once she did, she was stuck by the sight before her.

Swirling around her were schools of fish and crustaceans, a beautiful array of color and texture. The water was only around 30 feet deep but it was filled with an unlimited view of varying displays of creatures and underwater foliage. A seahorse floated in front of her mere inches from her face and she thought of the tank in her doctor's office. In this world, there was no glass to confine her, no circling without direction, just a wide-open infinite in front of her.

Klaus snaked his arm around her belly and pulled her closer to the seabed. He came up in front of her and pointed to a grouping turtles meandering around below them. With the sunlight filtering though the water surrounded by the vibrancy of life exploding around her, she no longer felt trapped by her future. Despite the security of Klaus's hand wound tight with hers, in this instance she was free and in a bubble energy and life.

She lost track of the time they spent in their underwater cocoon, but eventually the waters grew darker and Klaus motioned for them to resurface. Taking in one last sweeping view of the world around her, she latched onto the hem of his shorts and pulled him closer to her. Sucking in a large chunk of breath she removed her mask and motioned for him to do the same. He did so and she quickly pulled him in for a sweet kiss before kicking her body towards the surface.

The salty air entering her lungs was both welcome and refreshing as she pushed through the top plane of the water. The sun was descending into the horizon, a stunning display of muted pinks and purples, and as Klaus too surfaced, he enveloped his arm around her body, pulling her into his chest. For the first time since meeting him and getting involved, watching the day end before her wasn't terrifying. She no longer viewed it as an ending, but the beginning of possibility.

X-x-X

His hands skimmed against her skin as he fitted his shirt over her head and down her body once they affixed themselves back on solid footing. She rung out her hair thick with salt as he sat down on the back bench, patting the faux leather between his legs in invitation. Wordlessly, she settled in the crook of his arms resting her head against his bare chest.

"I love the ocean." She guided his arms around her mid-section, resting her hands on top of his. "The vastness of everything in front of us. It reminds me how small we are."

"Speak for yourself." He whispered playfully in her ear. "However, I tend to agree. There's something comforting knowing that there is a such an immensity in front of us that we can't even begin to comprehend, something that will always be bigger than us."

Focusing on their combined hands, she fingered along back of his that rested against her. "This feels immense to me."

"Do you fancy poetry?"

"Like Dr. Seuss?"

He dropped a warm laugh in her hair. "Well you're not incorrect I suppose, but I was thinking along the lines of e.e. Cummings."

"I know _I carry your heart with me_."

" _dive for dreams or a slogan may topple you_." He whispered another poem in response, his breath against her leaving her shivering. "I'm going to completely muddle this."

"Don't stop." She encouraged, nestling into him further, her focus on the endless horizon in front of them and words spilling from his lips.

" _Trust your heart if the seas catch fire, (and live by love though the stars walk backwards)."_ His lips met the patch right below her ear. "I believe I've missed some of that. It's been a spell since I've thought of this."

"I like it though." She vowed all the same. "Do you remember any more?"

"Perhaps, I think… _but welcome the future (and dance your death away at this wedding)."_ He took a shuttered breath, squeezing her tight against his heart. " _never mind a world with its villains and heroes (for god likes girls and tomorrow and the earth)."_

"Art, poetry, culture…is there anything you don't bring to the table?"

"I'm a dreadful cook." Her body shook with laughter despite the inner turmoil that stirred within her.

"I like the sound of tomorrow." She burrowed herself further into his embrace. "You should bring me there."

They stayed like that for a time longer until he encouraged them to make their way back to shore. As she tucked herself into his arms between the steering wheel and his torso, the could feel the weight of her secret beginning to shed, the lightness of what could be with him overtaking any apprehensions she was having. The knowledge was still there; the weight and limit on their time together but feeling his heartbeat thud against his chest to her back, she couldn't find it in herself to care.

He had remained shirtless and had mostly dried off by the time they reached the dock. Following him to the car, she could see every muscle in his back twist and taut awaking a stir within her entire body. There had been shift in electricity between them since they had stepped back the boat from their adventure; glances lingering and fingers tickling against her skin as he opened the car door for her.

She had allowed his palm to rest on her thigh as they made the short journey from the marina to his condo. As they pulled into driveway of the small abode, she gulped, finally accepting the shift that had occurred over the course of their afternoon and having a tremendous desire to move forward. He turned off the car, fiddling with the keys in his hand, unsure of what was the appropriate next move. It was endearing to see a man so confidence hesitate in uncertainty.

"Take me inside Nik." She murmured, her fingers intertwining with his and squeezing. He pulled her hand up and kissed against her knuckles.

The energy was different this time coming into his home, the dusk of the evening filling up the large bank of windows along the back wall of the house. Taking a stance at the glass, she observed as the waves crashed along the shoreline as he dithered in the kitchen. She could hear the clink of glasses and the pouring of liquid and after short time he joined her, slipping a stemless glass of wine in her hand. There was no small child to fill in as a buffer and as far as Caroline was concern there was no muddled intentions on either of parts on what they wanted from each other.

"You have no idea what today meant to me. Thank you."

"It was my absolute pleasure, I assure you love."

He pushed her hair off of her shoulder, exposing the skin as his lips found their way across her collarbone. Abandoning his glass on the table next to them, he continued his journey; one hand splaying across her stomach and the other gripping into her hip. The sharp intake of her breath encouraged him as her head lolled back against his shoulder. With a shaking breath, she wound her free arm around his head and pulled him deeper into the hollow. The low growl he emitted was her undoing as the glass fell from her hands, crystal shattering on the floor. Turning in his arms, her lips attached to his and she hoisted herself up, her legs locking around his waist.

The glass behind them shuttered as he pressed their entangled bodies against it for leverage. Her fingers found their way into the nape of his neck pulling at the curls of his hair as he continued his ministrations against her lips, her jaw, her neck. Mindful of the glass around their feet, he set her down on her feet and cupped her cheeks to kiss her fervently.

His thumb stroked her bottom lip as he drew away.

"How did you imagine things going the second time I ended up in your bed?"

It was an oath masked in a tease and he took it as an invitation. Entrapping her hand in his, he led her quietly and deliberately through his small home. It had been his intention from nearly the moment she challenged him on the steps of his gallery, having her here now in his grasp. They made their trek down the darkened hall, past the prints of some of his favorite artwork and pictures of Hope.

Pausing in front of his bedroom, he encased his body around hers gently leaning them against the door. He stopped short of kissing her, his nose skimming across hers and down her cheek, her breath coming out in jagged stutters. She couldn't place the hesitation he seemed to have but she accepted with her own as the desire to savor every inch of skin she could touch and taste grew stronger in her core. Her fingers gripped at his curls, the growing yearning sending her towards the edge.

Taking matters into her own, she spun the knob behind her and dragged him into the bedroom. Separating herself from him she strutted to foot of the bed and slid her bottom along the top of the dark duvet of the king bed. Her eyes never left his as she saw the large gulp he took in the moonlight as she reached for the hem on his shirt that she still wore and leisurely drew it over her head, releasing it on the floor with a soft thud.

A pull of a string and some shimming of her hips and she would be bare before him, free of the bikini she had worn that afternoon. Even in the muted light of dusk, she could read the intense desire on his face; a feeling she was well acquainted with. It was the imaginary boundary she placed around her and she knew that once she crossed the threshold there would be no turning back. She would be all in; faults, and illness, and uncertainty and she would be dragging her with him.

He inched forward placing his palms of his hands on the bed and crawled sensuously up to the head of the bed where she awaited. His hands found their way up her bare legs, exploring the dips behind her knees and his lips pressing small claims along her thigh. Her head hit the back of his headboard as he nips along the lines of her hip, his hand tugging slowly at the strings of her suit. Her fingers found their way once again to his curls, the soft pull snapping his attention up to her face.

Her lips parted in a command, a plea, a pledge but words failed her. It was only a split second before his lips where on hers, a renewed urgency and lack of control coursing through the contact. Sighing into his mouth with a blissful hum, he continued his journey along the lines of her jaw, a tender curiosity budding as his lips made their trek down her neck and across the planes of her skin.

"Nik." His name dropped from her lips in a raspy vow, his hands sinking further into the flesh on her hips. She was no stranger to sex or first times but there was something final and complete about this. The knowledge that this would be her very last first time with someone gave new meaning and life to the experience. Searching his eyes, she was only met back with blooming sense of longing and desire reflective in his.

She made quick removal of her top, pulling him back into her embrace with a renewed heat spreading before her. Tension that had been culminating for weeks, seemingly unraveled as they continued on their course of discovery with one another. She could feel all the emotions that had been building for days, for weeks, for hours and minutes running rampant as she explored the planes of his chest and the fortitude of his arms.

Time, a valiant villain in her story took a reprieve as she discovered new parts of him. There was the sensitive patch of skin under his ear that had him shuddering as she sighed into his ear. The joy of hearing his laughter as she found his particular ticklish spot above his hip had spread a different kind of warmth coursing through her already heated core. The pattering of his beating heart as he finally sunk into her had found tandem with her soft moans and the grip of the bedsheet.

Waves crashed outside against the shoreline and inside her as they found a rhythm that matched the fervor of their passion. There was a relief and a plea with every drop of her name against his shattered breaths, his tongue tracing along the scar along her rib cage and under her breast. He lingered in various places along her body as he sunk into her, his forehead finally resting on hers as they were torn asunder, their bodies acquiescing to one another in succession.

Both swept with exhaustion, his head rested on her chest, the pounding of her heart keeping in time with the spattering of rain that had begun to fall on the roof. He could still taste of the honey of her skin as she tenderly wiped away the sheen of sweat that had formed along his forehead. He cupped her cheeks and gingerly kissed her, a hint of salt and promise against her tongue.

She thought of the infinite then; the endless possibility, uncertainty, and wonder that encompassed that and knew she had found it cocooned in his arms.

* * *

super not great at smut guys. Sorry!


	12. Chapter 12

I was blown away and humbled by all the reviews left last chapter! Thank you! I finished chapter 14 and I'm nearly done with 15 and whew! are they draining as hell. But until then you get to enjoy the endless fluff of this next chapter-the calm before the angst.

Guest: If you loved the previous chapter focused on them, then you'll thoroughly enjoy this fluff spectacle.

TwilightHybrid: I wanted there to be more intimacy than anything in that chapter; a cocoon with just the two of them. Happy you liked it!

AxeBird1: Thanks! This chapter is a big longer for you :)

Guest: I'm a sucker for angst. I suppose that's why I gravitate towards writing it. I'm worried about the pacing sometimes; is it to rushed or too soon? I generally just go with my gut.

Guest: Thanks! Im forever worried I'm not getting the 'voice' correct with Klaus and Caroline

Kacomu: I've stated I'm not sure what the outcome of the story will be quite yet. I have an outline but those change frequently with me.

Zangestsu50: Klaus finds out in chapter 14 and I'm certain it's going to take everyone by surprise how it comes to light. There will be acknowledgement in chapter 15 about the fact that she led him on for so long despite her illness; I felt that was super important to cover. Post chapter 14 everything gets shifted for a more of an even split regarding everything. I wanted to focus more on the build up first. Lastly, rant on honey. I love it.

Daniellerae23: I updated the summary. I hope it's better! Thanks for giving me a kick in the butt about it!

Thanks again for taking the time to read and review! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 12

"You sir, have proven yourself quite the pillow fort engineer."

His grin was sheepish as Klaus crawled onto the cushions he had placed on the floor. The morning was beginning to break before them and a soft rain had started to fall tinging against the roof in a cacophony of hums and dings. As their evening had dwindled into array of soft caresses and teasing kisses, they had worked up quite the appetite and decided sustenance was a good idea in the early morning of dawn.

It was Caroline's suggestion to watch the sun rise and she giggled at the mischievous glint he got in his eye as he tossed pillows and cushions on the floor and arranged two chairs in front of the sofa. Dashing to the hall closet, he returned with a large sheet fitting it over the tops of the furniture and cocooning her in his creation. He left her to fret around in the kitchen and she could hear the rattling of bowls and drawers opening and closing. From her position, she could see clearly out of the large bank of floor to ceiling windows and doors that took up the entire back façade of the condo, the ocean dancing along the shoreline in crashing intervals.

"I am rather pleased with it if I do say so myself." He gave her the bowl in his hand and settled inside their fort. He got comfortable on his side, his elbow bent to prop up his head. She was laying on her stomach, her arms crossed under her to pillow holding up her torso. He tucked an errant curl behind her ear. "Rather pleased with you too, love."

"Tennessee Fudge." She blushed, nodding suspiciously at the bowl of ice cream in her grasp, dipping her spoon in and plopping it into her mouth. Her face was sun kissed, her freckles a constellation across her cheeks framed by the wild curls the sea salt had created. "Someone was prepared."

"I hadn't the haziest notion you would be spending the night here," he kissed the hollow of her neck. "or working up quite an appetite," moving his way up her neck, he latched onto her earlobe as she took in a sharp breath. "or demanding ice cream the morning afterwards."

Shutting her eyes against his ministrations, she placed a tentative hand on his chest lightly pushing him away. She gave him a knowing look. "You had an _idea_ though."

"There may have been a question of what if…" leaning forward he kissed her, the coolness of her tongue hot against the heat of his. He drew on her bottom lip with his as he released her, licking at the taste of her and faintest hint of fudge. "I'll admit I wasn't sure of your suggestion of ice cream for breakfast but I think I'm becoming a rather big fan."

"I'll be sure to let Hope know."

"I'll never hear the end of that, I'm sure."

"Tell me what this means." She murmured, her fingers tracing along the lines of the feather on his arm that scattered into birds across his chest. His eyes fluttered under her touch as she continued her exploration.

"It was an act of rebellion in my formative years." He confessed with a soft snort. "I suppose I thought it might be meant to symbolize freedom. I was a bit of a prat back then."

"You're a smartass for sure, and you keep saying how terrible you used to be; but how bad could you have really been?"

He focused on the hair he was pushing back from her face as he spoke. "I allowed my poor relationship with my father turn me into a twisted and angry version of myself. I was sullen and violent most of the time. Rebekah wouldn't have anything to do with me, Elijah did his best to save me from myself. Kol rejoiced that he had someone to join in on the chaos." He paused his explanation with a completive frown. "We would get into so many fights. My father allowed me to sit in jail for four days once. He didn't even bat an eyelash."

"What changed?" she snuggled further into her arms, her attention completely on him, her bowl disregarded. "Other than my wall" she gave him a pointed look. "Which I may have forgiven but will not be forgetting anytime soon…you seem to not have any cares in the world."

"On the contrary love," he smiled warmly, his palm cupping her cheek. "I, in fact do have a few cares in the world, including a Car-oline." She rolled her eyes as his terrible attempt at humor but her face nested further into his embrace all the same. "You know I saw Elijah yesterday."

"Seriously?"

"Well, someone did harangue me endlessly about it."

"I resent harangued; that's not what it was."

Nuzzling her neck first, he kissed her pout away. "What would you call it?"

"Strategic reminding." She quipped. "Endlessly because you're too stubborn apparently. But how did it go?"

"Elijah and I have to be better for one another because it's bigger than us now. Having a child changes things. I didn't understand it at first. Years ago, Hayley and I got into a spat one night and I caught my reflection in her hall mirror. I saw a monster, I saw my father and then it all made sense."

"You changed because you had Hope."

"I haven't really changed, love." His small grimace was framed in brief melancholy. There was a softness to his face as he refocused his attention back to her. "I just choose different avenues to dive my energy into now. Like focusing my attention on you instead of my devious ways"

"Like the night we had last night wasn't devious." She snickered and he cracked a smile in response. "Or you just being a general pain in my ass distraction."

He blew a raspberry kiss in her neck, a burst of laughs erupting out of her. "Mind your tongue sweetheart."

"But it's so much more fun when you mind it for me."

He didn't hesitate to take the invitation as she savored her lips upon his. Coiling his arm around her waist he hauled her torso on top of his chest. She smiled against his lips he continued his ministrations sliding down her body and over his shirt that she still wore. Flipping her quickly on her back, he made fast work of exploring the hollow of her neck once more, finding new spots that had her humming with excitement.

His hands moved painfully slow as he inched up her shirt, a trail of wet kisses following in the wake of his lips upon her skin. Tenderly, he eased the shirt off of her head, tossing it to the floor and relished in the sight of her beneath him once more. She tugged at his necklaces, meeting his lips, a blissful sigh escaping them at the contact. The sun was forcing its way through the storm clouds outside, casting an iridescent glow around them.

Despite the tent collapsing around them, he drowned in a sea of her giggles and curls.

X-x-X

From her perch at the bottom of the stairs, Caroline stretched her bare legs out in front of her, her toes squishing between the sand. The sun was high in sky, even if was obscured by a relentless parade of clouds. The breeze was pleasant enough though; as it weaved through her unruly curls she could still smell Klaus lingering on her skin, could still feel his touch on various parts of her body. She could feel the blush creeping along her cheeks just at the thought.

"What is that grin for?" Klaus settled in behind her, chest still bare, tucking her body in between his legs. He passed her over the half sandwich he had made for them and a beer as he took a sip of his own.

"I was thinking of our time in the pillow fort." She sunk a bite into the sandwich, a soft moan coming out at how tasty it was. "Thank you, this is delicious. It's pretty cute that it's cut into a triangle."

"Need I remind you I have a five-year-old." He murmured in her hair with a smirk as she finished the last of her food. "I'm just sorry that the pillow fort did not make it through the Caroline tsunami."

"Hey!" she spun in his grasp the slightest to push his shoulder playfully. "Actually, I think I was a helpless victim to Hurricane Klaus."

"Helpless?" He laughed, his fingers digging into her sides as she squealed and squirmed in his arms. "On the contrary love, you were all too willing."

"Maybe."

"Maybe." He agreed with a snicker. Her giggles fell into short breathes as he turned her wrist to show the small swallow on her skin and kissed it gently. "And what is the meaning of this? We delved into mine earlier, so I think it's only fair."

"Rebellion." Parroting his earlier answer, she slid her palm along his jaw and settled it on his cheek after he kissed her palm. "I got it right before heading to college so for me it was about the journey I was about to embark on. Since I was scared, I guess this was my idea of how to control things. I would always be able to look down at it and know that it was my course I was set on."

"And college? Did you get everything you wanted out of it?"

"For the most part." She frowned just the slightest. "Obviously finding Stefan was a big win; it set me on the road to what I do now. Gaining Bonnie as a friend was a godsend. I found a lot of who I was in those years. Got my heart broken for the first time."

"Oh?"

"You really want to know this?"

"I'm torn between shaking this bloke's hand for leading you to me and tearing his head off from hurting you." He replied with a shrug. "What if you tell me yours I'll tell you mine."

"Ok but yours better be good." she asked mocking serious. She had to fight the smile that was trying to take over her features. She sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything about you."

"That makes things simple." she plopped back against his chest, her hair fanning around her head in a halo. She thought of the everything about her and shuddered thinking of telling him. "I actually grew up with Tyler. We knew each other our whole lives and I had no idea he was going to the same university as I was. We ran into each other at a party and became friends."

"With benefits?"

"Don't be gross." She scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "No benefits; we would study together and grab food, go to parties. But then our dads died within a few months of one another at the end of our freshman year and it was something we both bonded over. We grew closer. We stayed together all through college. We even lived together our senior year."

"And what exactly was the undoing of you two?"

"Time." She whispered softly with a small breath. "The future I guess. Here we were, months from graduating college, a nearly 3-year relationship behind us and not once had we talked about what came next. I remember sitting on the floor of our apartment pouring over business plans that Stefan had drawn up and looking for places to live in Charleston. He was pacing in front of me back in fourth on the phone hammering out the details for a job in Texas. It was like a cold bucket of water was dumped on me. We were totally orbiting in different circles."

"Was it amicable?"

"It was like, this very underwhelming conclusion to something that had carved out so much of my life. There was nothing catastrophic or explosive about it." She exhaled and shrugged. "We had shared a bed, and a lease, but I guess we never shared ourselves and then it was all over. It didn't feel like a waste to me though, because I did love him, but it just felt complete; final."

"You seem troubled by that." She removed herself from his grasp then, and despite being in just a pair of his boxers and his t shirt, she sank into the sand in front of him. Tucking her knees in between his, she took his hands as she scooted closer to him. "Seems rather convenient; no lingering doubts or feelings."

"Well yeah." She nodded, her brow furrowing in the center. "But that only matters now. At the time it felt like I needed more. I just think that any love that is substantial doesn't ever feel complete, that it shouldn't. It should fill you up, but still make you crave that next slice of the pie."

Her heart clenched; not at the absence of Tyler in her life but at the dwindling life she had remaining. She hadn't quite decided what she felt for Klaus and a lot of that hinged on her inability to fully accept her fate. After their previous night, she was unable to deny the connection and accepting that he was simply now a part of her story; however that played out.

"My ex would have some thoughts about your outlook." He responded and she noted the wistful look in his eyes. "I met Camille at a bar but much later after Hope had come along. She was getting her degree in psychology and because I am the epitome of anger management and daddy issues, she found me fascinating."

"She called you out on your shit, didn't she?" Caroline deduced with a smirk. "I like her already."

He leaned forward as she propped her elbow on his knee, her chin in her hand. "Perhaps." She hesitated but after a moment she ran her fingers through his hair, his eyes beating at the contact. "I suppose we were in a relationship but we never quite defined it as such. We didn't end dramatically either; I made the choice to move here and she made the choice to stay in Chicago."

"But she was important to you."

"She was." He agreed, capturing her fingers and kissing along her knuckles. "But that was a lifetime ago."

"You didn't ask her to go did you." She deduced after a lull, the crashing waves behind them filling up the silence. "Did you want her to?"

"I had Hope; Hayley and I were balancing each other and an infant, there were a multitude of factors…" the sun peeked through a break in the clouds and he squinted against it's light. "I didn't fair well in my attempt to navigate that time in my life. I wanted to be with her; but I think I was only participating because I needed help. That's not what a relationship should be built on. It didn't have weight but I suppose it was sinking all the same."

"What if you had met me at that time in your life?" she blurted out, her eyes wide at the admission. Biting her lip, she peaked up at him through her lashes. Gingerly, he tucked a loose curl behind her ear, cupping her check and giving her a tender look of adoration.

"Much the same as I feel now, I suppose." He drew her into him, the fervor of his lips yielding and demanding against hers. "I'd want to carry you with me and just hope you'd just allow me to show you what the world has to offer."

X-x-X

"Lovely. I see you've managed to find more to cover yourself with than just your knickers."

Klaus smirked coming into the kitchen as he tossed a shirt over his own torso. Caroline gave him a snide face as she turned away from him and dug into the fridge. He glided into one of the stools at the breakfast bar and waited, admiring the way she looked with the khaki shorts she had slipped on. Spinning around she set a bottle of wine on the counter and began rummaging through the cabinets, finally finding two sippy cups and placing them beside the bottle of wine.

"Yes, I finally put on something other than just underwear but I didn't see much complaining coming from you."

"And you never will love." He held his hands up in mock surrender. "Just a harmless observation. What are you up to?"

"Well, you can't openly drink on the beach." She twisted the lid off each cup and poured the wine to the brim. "So, this is my solution."

"In my child's sippy cups?" he questioned and she nodded happily as she screwed the lids back on. As she took a generous sip, the red wine flowing through the straw he gestured for her to pass one over to him. "Since I'm probably going to hell anyway; why not drink out of my child's cup."

"Excellent." She purred, coming around the bar and holding out her hand for him to take. "The sun is just about set, the rain has finally stopped, and I think we should stretch our legs a little bit."

He followed her, a tight grasp on her fingertips as she led them through the back door and onto the beach. His house was a least a mile from the popular tourist spots along the beach and there were only a few people milling around in the distance. He watched her hips sway in lovely rhythm with the waves that crashed down in front of them. Savoring her small squeal when the water rushed around her feet, he tugged her closer as they continued their trek along the shoreline.

"Tell me your favorite holiday."

He snorted softly against her knuckles as he kissed her hand. "You never cease to astound me with your randomness."

"My favorite holiday is Christmas." She continued despite his thinly veiled protest. She bent down and plucked a seashell out of the sand. "I love the smell of pine and the magic of all the twinkling lights and holly. And presents! The best part is seeing everyone's face when they open their presents. I love watching all my hard work pay off."

"So, it's really about you at that moment?" he goaded in jest and she nudged him with her elbow. She could feel him lament against her skin. "What else did you enjoy about it?"

A breath of contentment dropped from her lips as she snaked her arm around his. "The last weekend we spent here every summer we would celebrate Christmas. In fact, we would even celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving; We'd dress up something silly on Friday, have a big dinner Saturday and on Sunday…"

"Christmas morning."

"Christmas morning." She parroted as she smiled warmly. "We would scour the beach for all the shells we could find and place them in the shape of a tree on the beach. Then we would garnish it with seaweed and whatever else we could muster up out here. Most years, that Christmas was better than real Christmas."

"I rather like birthdays."

"That's not a holiday."

"It is if you bloody well make it into one." He retorted. "Just ask Rebekah. She makes a compelling argument for hers to be a national holiday."

"And what was your favorite birthday?"

"My 25th." He chuckled at the memory and he looked comical taking a long drink out of the sippy cup. "Kol had a fake ID and chaos ensued. He had the grand idea to go galivanting around the French Quarter in New Orleans. Somewhere, there is video of me singing quite terribly at karaoke. Kol has been holding the footage hostage."

"Oh my god." She giggled, falling into his chest. "I can't imagine you of all people singing." She gasped, stopping them in their tracks. "What did you sing?"

Grimacing he twirled her around in front of him. "I don't recall, actually."

"You're such a liar." She frowned in admonishment and tugged him closer to her. "Oh, come on! What if it's a favorite song of mine? Oh! Would you sing it for me?!"

"Absolutely not." He shook away from her grasp and started a small jog away from her. She waited a moment before chasing after him. After catching up with him, she grabbed him around the waist and they both fell into the sand with a thump. "Are you pleased with yourself?"

Rolling on top of him, she propped up on her elbow as her curls cascaded around his face. "You could tell me or I can bride the video evidence out of your brother."

"You haven't even met him yet."

"I have ways." She flirted giving him a peck on the lips. "Come on! Please, please please…"

"I like those words against your lips," he kissed her, delving into her parted lips. "Just not exactly in this context." She tilted her head away from him in a mock protest and he let out his breath. "Keep in mind that I was plied with a various array of tequila and bourbon and Kol is the biggest prat I have ever met. But since you insist on it, I sang a number from the Spice Girls."

"NO WAY!" she exclaimed her eyes growing wide as she bouncily pushed his chest. "Now I have to see that video."

"Out of the question." He managed to pull them both up to sitting positions, dusting the sand off of his arms. Laughing at her pout, he ran a thumb along her bottom lip. "Don't be cross, sweetheart."

"I've never done karaoke before." She admitted with a soft cringe right before her eyes lit up with excitement and she gripped his forearm. "What if you do it with me one day? I know all the moves to 'Wannabe.'"

Rolling his eyes, he entwined his fingers through hers with reverence. "What if I just watch?"

"What if," she countered with a serious tilt of her head. "I do karaoke and you do something you have never done? What's something you've always wanted to do but have been too chicken to?"

"I've never understood that particular phase. Have you ever seen a chicken? Little buggers will just about go anywhere with very little provocation." She chuckled and shook her head.

"Come on, what's something you're just dying to do? Climb Everest, go to Paris, rob an art museum."

"I'll need to find my passport for the first two," he contemplated in jest. "And we'll need far more grace than you and I have sweetheart to rob a museum."

"Come on, I'm being semi-serious here. Anything in the world."

"I suppose I have always wanted to do a little graffiti."

"Really?" she blinked pursing her lips in contemplation.

Inching forward, he looped his arms around her waist. "I rather like the idea of taking my art and putting in on an unremarkable and unconventional canvas for the whole of the world to see."

Running her hands up the plane of his chest she nestled them around his neck and drew his lips down to meet hers. "Well, I can't offer you up an overpass of a bridge just this minute but what if we go back, rebuild our fort, and you make me your canvas for the evening?"

* * *

Have you melted from all the fluff? :)


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

" _Morning, love…I've fetched the coffee and biscotti. See you soon."_

The cool tiles of the floor were a relief against the heat that continued to flush through her body. She could see the text message on her phone peaking out of the one eye that was able to open but she couldn't find it in herself to respond given her current state. Her hair was in a soaking mess of curls around her face, sticking to her cheeks and forehead regardless of the many attempts to keep it at bay.

Despite the weight of the knowledge of her cancer, it was easy to forget that she had a death sentence as a constant companion. Between her work and her focus on both exploring the possibility with Klaus and the adventures they took, the cancer that was invading her seemed almost nonexistent. The memory of her weekend wrapped up in him and in conversation was the only thing keeping her going; instead of the cold hard floor, she envisioned herself in the soft warmth of nothing but his arms and the pillow fort.

She had finally made her way home Sunday afternoon with a quick but lingering kiss upon her lips as he dropped her off. It was 2 AM that morning when the chills started and 4 when she had just barely made it to her adjoining bathroom, the contents of her sushi dinner with Klaus spilling into the toilet. Hours in, and the nausea and fever had yet to relent. She couldn't wrap her head around the glaring realization of what this meant in terms of the progression of her illness so she did the next best thing; she took control.

One was an intake of plenty of fluids even if that was small sips from the cup she kept on the sink. Second was an attempt to break the fever that had rushed through her. She was sure she would throw it up eventually but the Tylenol went down with a harsh scrape against her throat. Third, she turned her shower on the hottest temperature it would allow and sank back into the floor as the steam filled up the space; the towel she had draped over her shoulders was pulled tight around her as she fought off another shudder from the chills that wracked her body. Fourth, she decided that the tears that had been held at bay from weeks were allowed their freedom for release.

The catharsis of that one act alone was enough to help her push through.

"Caroline?" he eyes shifted to the locked door, Stefan's voice oozing concern from the other side. "Are you okay?"

Her attention shifted back to her cell phone, the screen coming to light and Klaus's message appearing on the screen once more. This was the moment she would always remember as the second it all became real to her. There was no escaping her death; Her best friend waiting on the other side of the door, a man that had shown her a lifetime in a matter of weeks at her finger tips and the weight of inevitability weighing heavy on her chest.

How had she managed to get this far so quickly? It had only been months ago that this was a possibility and only weeks since her prognosis had turned grim. Had it only been that short of time that her whole world had turned on itself and then righted itself the day Klaus had took over her life? She had been fooling herself into a life that could have possibility when there was only certainty.

Swiping at the tear staining her cheeks she pushed herself off the tile and rested against her bathroom vanity. "I'm okay Stefan. I must have overslept. I'm just getting in the shower and I'll head over to the restaurant. I'll meet you there."

"Sounds good." He responded and she could hear the happy thump of Colby's tail against the door. She winced, a new onslaught of tears pooling. "I left you breakfast on the counter. I'll see you in a bit."

Eventually she crawled to the bathtub grimacing at the cold water that was now filling up her shower. Closing her eyes, she pulled herself up on her shaky legs and tumbled into the awaiting water. Gasping at the ice invading her at the contact of the water she rested her forehead against the wall tiles. How catastrophically differently this was to her afternoon yesterday wrapped in the fervor of him as they showered together.

She knew she was spiraling; she didn't have a plan or a future and as much as tried she had lost all control in the situation. Her phone pinged once more with a message.

" _Don't fret. I didn't forget the extra sugar."_

x-X-x

"I'm sorry I'm late."

Caroline breezed past Klaus, unceremoniously dropping her bag and binders on the desk. She ignored his outstretched hand offering coffee. He politely set the coffee and pastry on the table and patiently waited for her response. Glancing at her watch and then her phone her frown quickly disintegrated into rage.

"Where the hell are the floor installers?" she asked Klaus and he only offered a half-attempted shrug. "They were supposed to be here at 9 this morning."

"Well, so you were you sweetheart." He retorted which only earned him a hard glare from Caroline. "What is going on with you? Relax, love." Placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, she stormed away already dialing into her phone and speaking into it. "Caroline!"

"What do you mean you won't be able to make the install today?"

Caroline pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, eyeing Klaus' completive and concern look from his position across the room. Still not completely well, she took in a labored breath and turned away from his concerned expression.

"No. That is not acceptable at all. We have had this appointment booked for weeks." Her hand shot out into the air in frustration and Klaus placed his hands on the tops her arms to calm her down. It achieved just the opposite as she shook him off and walked away from him. "Of course, I check my emails!"

She pulled her tablet out of her bag in a huff, quickly pulling up the mail app and scrolling through. Her mouth dropped in both surprise and anger, her fist clenching in a small ball. It was very clearly there; an email dated five days prior to inform her of the schedule changes that she had failed to notice or respond to. Had she not been so caught up in Klaus, she would have been on top of things.

"You're right." She whispered, her tone full of shame. "I see that now. I'm so sorry for how I behaved. I was clearly distracted." She turned around then, giving Klaus a pointed look. "You can still come tomorrow though correct? Great. I'll do what I can get the other install pushed back for the time that you need. Yes, I understand. Thank you."

"Everything alright?"

"No." the word dropped from her mouth like acid at she threw her phone on the desk in front of her. Splaying her palms out on the top she leaned into it to catch herself up. Biting her lip, she picked up her phone again finding the contact she needed and hit send. It was childish she knew, but she turned her back on him once more and rested against the desk.

Klaus hung back as she quickly settled into focused and sunny Caroline as she sweet talked her way into pushing the other install back as far as she could. There was a definite shift in their energy since she had arrived that morning but he couldn't quite place it. They had enjoyed each other over the weekend; a journey of discovery and pleasure in a cocoon of sanctity in the bond that was growing between them. Now, just a mere few feet from him she felt far away.

"Crisis averted?" he attempted as she ended the call and dropped the phone on the desk behind her. He could see her shoulders shift up and then down as she took in a heavy breath. "Sweetheart-"

"No." she didn't raise her voice but the timbre behind it stopped him dead in his tracks as she spun to face him. "No. Just stop. No _sweetheart_ or **love**. Just no to it all." she sighed, her hands coming to her face to push away her disheveled hair. "You need to go."

Her words held a finality behind them as she returned her focus to the papers in front of her. "Pardon me, _love_?"

"Seriously?" narrowing her eyes at him she pursed her lips. "Klaus, you need to go home. Seriously."

He spun in a circle, looking dramatically all around the room.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Looking for Caroline." He directed his attention back at her with look of fury. "Clearly she has been replaced by someone who has gone mad."

"Mad?! Klaus, just go home! Don't you get it?" she bristled and the inner petulancies in her desperately wanted to stomp her foot in protest.

"It's quite apparent I do not."

"You are a distraction!" bringing her hands to her temples she threw them back out into the air. "All I have done since you've been around is leave work early and miss deadlines and-"

"And live your bloody life a little." He snapped with a low rumble. "Far be it for me to show you what life has to offer you! There's a whole world out there, Caroline; of art and music and genuine beauty but you remain steadfast in your stubbornness."

They remained locked in a heated glare for what seemed like a small eternity. Every blissful and happy memory that she had tethered to him was clouded by her morning in her steamy bathroom. Up until that moment she had ignored and placated herself with the notion that she could live in this bubble with him; untouched and invincible.

She couldn't formulate or make sense of anything she was feeling for him, not with the weight of her cancer deep under her ribcage. What she could make sense of was time; she had months, a handful of days and stolen moments that were only going to hurt more in the long run. She had to consider time with her mother and Stefan, Bonnie. The thought tore her heart in two, but she had a choice in sparing him whatever was coming next.

"Where is all this coming from?" he finally questioned, his face a contortion of anger and confusion. "I do not wish to upset you but I'm at a complete loss for what I have done, or haven't done if that may so be the case."

"I appreciate all the effort you have put into the restaurant the last couple of weeks but-

"Oh, sod off!" he boomed his fist connecting with the desk, rattling the contents and spilling her coffee. Her face snapped up, startled at the outburst. "This restaurant is not what is keeping me here and you bloody well know it."

She gulped but refused to allow any tears or her resolution to fall. "You need to go."

"I think I deserve an explanation." His words were tense as he took a calculated step back away from her. "You cannot tell me that after all the time we have spent together that this was about some foolish venture of my brother's."

"I don't know what you want me to say." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes, I have enjoyed our time together and yes, it grew beyond a business partnership. But Klaus, this isn't the right time for any of this. I have this project I have to get done. I have my mother's house that has to be completed before Christmas and I cannot keep getting sidetracked by you."

"You seem to have misinterpreted my intentions." He scoffed, his jaw rigid as he edged away further.

"This is just doesn't seem as important to you as it needs to be." She murmured taking a guarded step forward but stopped as he cut his eyes to her. Ringing her hands in nervousness she rooted herself to her spot. "I'm not built to do this, okay? I am not someone who skips work and misses cutoff dates. As much fun as I have with you, - "

"Fun?" he spat, the fissure between them widening. "You simply can not be that daft, love."

Wincing at his terse words, she took a breath to try and keep the herself in check. "Nik." Her voice cracked as his name fell from her lips. The memory of every time she had whispered his name as everything from a plea to a promise and a prayer gutted through her as a look of resignation crossed his features. His lips parted in either a protest or an appeal, she wasn't sure, but no words came out.

With just a few quick strides he closed the gap between them. He searched her eyes for any crack in her resolution, but she had held them all beneath the surface. She was sure that she wouldn't be able to refuse him again if he asked, and she was torn between the desire that he would and the hope that he wouldn't. Pursing his lips, he quickly leaned in and chastely kissed her cheek, lingering just a touch too long.

"Goodbye, Caroline."

X-x-X

"Caroline?"

"In here!"

Caroline wiped at the sheen of sweat that had settle across her brow and sank down onto the hardwood floor. Her dramatic day was coming to a thankful end, but the turmoil that it had stirred up with its presence was far from over. Her stomach was in knots over her spat with Klaus; she struggled with what she truly wanted and what was the right thing to do. She had felt her words cruel, and the look on his face had eviscerated her. The hollow of her name coming from his mouth had left her heart in pieces.

"Are you cleaning the fireplace?" Bonnie questioned, her brow furrowed as she walked into the living room. Dropping her bags on the coffee table, she took a seat on the couch and gave Caroline a worried glance.

"Yes." She ran the brush in her hand over a spot along the bricks before tossing it in the bucket in front of her. "I was worried about the carcinogens." Bonnie gave her a pointed look. "Ok, I was stress cleaning."

"Work stressing you out?"

"Yes." She responded all too quickly before sighing. "No. Sort of. I kind of yelled at Klaus and ended things with him."

"What the hell would you do that for?"

"He's a distraction." She stated simply, standing up and shaking off her pants from any debris left on them.

"He's a super-hot distraction." Bonnie retorted and Caroline snapped her attention up, her name falling from her mouth. "Don't 'Bonnie' me. Caroline, come on! I can see the hickey on your collar bone and you only wear that grungy band t-shirt after you've had sex."

"You have no idea what you're talking about Bonnie Bennett." Caroline huffed, sinking down onto the sofa next to Bonnie. Pursing her lips, Bonnie reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle. Caroline was still pouting with her arms across her chest but relented and reached for the bottle after a moment. "Dude, this is the Dom Perignon."

"I know!" Bonnie shrieked throwing her arms around Caroline. She pulled back after a moment, her eyes shining and her smile blinding. "That stupid witch Tessa quit, which means they needed a head chef so…"

"You have your own kitchen?!" Caroline squealed launching herself back into Bonnie's arms. "We've been saving this bottle since our junior year. You made it, Bon."

"I did." She grinned, taking the bottle from Caroline's hand. Biting her lip, she studied the bottle. "It's really happening for me."

"What did Enzo say?"

"Enzo?" Bonnie looked at Caroline with a quirked brow. "This just happened like an hour ago. I haven't even thought of him yet. I just knew I had to tell you."

Caroline threw her arms around Bonnie's torso once more, her grip tightening as she grew closer. The guilt of not telling her of her diagnosis ripped through her. "I'm so proud of you." Bonnie's phone rang then, Enzo's name flashing on the screen. "Well, go head and take it. Tell him the good news!"

Caroline observed Bonnie's flushed and happy expression as she told Enzo the news of her promotion. She could hear his reaction on the other end; a series of whoops and whistling full of praises for her. It was only when she heard the reverence of Bonnie's voice as she spoke a soft 'I love you, too' into the phone that Caroline realized. Barely a day had passed since her ending with Klaus and it was making her miserable. But seeing Bonnie share something so monumentally happy with the person she loved, made Caroline long the same for herself.

"I really want you to meet Enzo." Bonnie declared sinking into the sofa with a sheepish smile as she ended the call.

"Because you loooveeee him. "Caroline teased with a grin as Bonnie blushed. Taking a reluctant breath Caroline gathered all her strength to speak; to finally lay all her truths bare. "Bonnie, - "

"So, what if he's a distraction, Care?" Bonnie interrupted, clasping her hand that was draped over the back of the couch. "Enzo, - I can't explain it. I thought he would be this remarkable distraction and that I would never get out of his shadow. Instead, he pushes me in a way that I propel forward and makes me so happy. He makes me feel…"

"Alive." Caroline finished, her answer about Klaus clear and her need for more time growing. "I know exactly how you feel."


	14. Chapter 14

Hey! So...I am going to have a note at the end to explain some things about this chapter and then any other questions you may have I will answer when I post the next chapter.

I'm struggling quite a bit with some writers block so I wrote a quick little one shot (Slow Life) that I'm thinking of expanding into 4 or 5 parts so go check it out and let me know what you think. I'm currently in the process of writing chapter 16 but I'm a bit stuck on the end of chapter 15. Anyway, I won't bore you with this but please let me know what you think of this chapter!

*I am highly motivated by food and reviews.

* * *

Chapter 14

"Just a minute!"

Caroline stepped back from the entry way, her feet shuffling back and forth as she waited for the door to open. The sun was blistering overhead, which only added to Caroline's already exasperated nerves. She had allowed an entire week to go by; a continuous battle with herself over what she wanted, what was right, and what should happen. There was nothing in the any of those categories that overlapped enough to grant her the outcome she desired.

She wanted Klaus.

Restless sleep, bouts of illness, and a river of tears throughout the week had only drawn her to one conclusion. She was dying; and there was really no easy out. She had spoken with her doctor, done the research, even sought out a second opinion. The consensus was clear; time was not something she could bargain with and she no longer desired to waste it not being happy. What she could bargain with was a week more of living in a denial before she dropped the truth on everyone.

The gallery wasn't open this early in the morning but she had seen his car parked along the back of the building. If she were being honest, she found herself going the two blocks out of her way both to and from work daily to just to maybe catch a glimpse. She never did; but she did realize that he spent the majority of his time there over the course of the week. Looking up she saw him approach the door and slow as he took in the sight of her waiting for him.

"Before you say anything," Caroline launched into her spiel before he could even get the door all the way opened. "Just let me ramble adorably for a few minutes and then you can tell me to bugger off or whatever if you want to."

Stepping outside fully, he let the door shut behind him and crossed his arms over his chest. Leaning against the glass pane of the front display windows, he waited patiently for her to continue. His face was stone as he observed her wearing a faded jean jumpsuit and she had her hair pulled back into two loose braids framing her face. Besides the weekend she had mostly spent in his t shirts, he had never seen her dressed so relaxed even when her energy was nothing but a ball of nerves.

His week without her had been awful; his mood had oscillated between rage and melancholy and he never quite found a balance. Various canvas had found their end by means of his temper and even sparring with his buddy Marcel had done little to slave off the emptying feeling that he had been left with. His heart was overjoyed at the sight of her but his pride was weary of her intentions.

"Ok, listen. What you saw last week was crazy Caroline."

He quirked up an eyebrow.

"Yes, I know crazy people don't know they're crazy but just hear me out okay? We had this wild, amazing weekend together and I don't always understand this connection we have but it's there and it's scary and it's actually kind of great and I guess the purpose of this entire, never-ending run-on sentence is that I'm sorry, and I like the possibility of what we could be, the possibility of an us, and I'm sorry."

"You simply never shut up do you?"

"Excuse me?" she reeled, taking a step back before shaking off the harshness of his words and landing back on solid footing. He was still leaning against the door frame, a look of arrogance upholding his smug grin. "I said I was sorry like a bazillion times and I don't know what else you could possibly want from me-"

Her entire tirade she had been gravitating towards him without her body's permission. She was caught off guard by his hands on her jaw, his lips upon hers, swallowing up every word and thought pouring out of her. Gripping his elbows for support, she launched herself back into his arms. After several minutes, they slowed, leaving tantalizing lingers across each other's lips before finally he rested his forehead against hers.

"If you think you can just kiss me to shut- "his lips descended on hers once more, silencing her in a quiet moan.

"Caroline, love, shut up."

Glancing up at him from under her lashes, she sighed. "You don't play fair." Untangling herself from his grasp she picked up the canvas tote she had brought with her. "What if today, you allow me to take you somewhere for once?"

X-x-X

"Stefan and I did a remodel in this building last year. I guess it conveniently slipped my mind to give them back the keys. Come on, it's only up one more flight of stairs."

Klaus grip on her hand tightened as they made their way up the narrow metal steps. Unexpectedly, she had taken him to the old cigar factory near the river that had been remodeled into condos. She still had not unveiled what was in the tote she carried, but the consistent rattling gave him some clue and it made him equally anxious and excited for the potential of what was to come.

The sun was blinding as she finally pushed open the door to the roof and he stepped through. In front of them was a scenic view of the Ravenal Bridge stretching over the Cooper River, the USS Yorktown docked across the way. Right in the middle however, was an ancient water tower, a rusted array of reds and browns. Strutting to the ladder that lead up, Caroline finally dropped her tote back and held out her hands.

"You wanted to graffiti. Well here's your canvas." She squatted down next to the bag, taking out multiple cans of spray paint. "Now, I wasn't sure really what colors you would want or need so I got one of each."

Klaus lips parted in awe as she finished taking out the last of the cans. "You did all of this?"

"It's something you've never done. I wanted to give it to you." She shrugged, grabbed a can, and made her way up the ladder to the landing that encircled the water tower. "Well are you just going to stand there or are you going to come up here with me?"

With a grin he went looking through the various paint options before snatching up a few and tucking them into his arm. He squeezed by her on the landing, pulling her in for a quick kiss as she made his way around to the front. It was only a matter of minutes before he was shaking the cans and spraying it across the metal of the tower. He heard Caroline doing the same from the other side and fell into the work he was creating.

Every so often Caroline would edge around the curve to watch him work. She wanted to wait to see the end result when it was finished but she had always been curious to how he looked as he created. It was incredible; there was a furrow to his brow that had never been present, a bite to his lip as he contemplated a color, a sheen of excitement in his eyes as he surveyed his work. It was almost like seeing him for the first time.

"Don't you dare come over here."

He offered her a crooked smile, his dimples forming on either side. "I wouldn't dream of it, love."

"I want you to see it from below and pretend to be marveled at my artistic abilities. I'm hoping you will find it more adorable and less appalling that I do not in fact have any."

"There's not a thing about you I don't find adorable."

She winked and pursed her lips in an air kiss. "Flattery will get you everywhere Mr. Mikaelson." She pointed a spray can at him. "But seriously, stay on your side."

Despite not having a plan or a future, she knew in her heart that this was the right decision. Being with him was effortless and challenging all at the same time, and despite knowing that she would have to tell him the terrible truth of her illness, she was no longer afraid of the outcome. There was a revenant softness in his smile when he caught a glimpse of her, a crooked turn of his lip that made her certain in her course to be and stay with him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Caroline jumped and whirled around to see a security guard standing below them on the roof, his hands on his hips. She gave Klaus a sheepish look before she nodded for him to follow her down the ladder. They stopped a few feet away, Klaus's torso directly behind Caroline's. The guard was unamused and probably too underpaid to give a flip about them actually being on the roof, but he was seemingly determined to play the part regardless.

"This is private property. What you're doing up there is vandalism…"

"Officer-"

"Sir, I suggest you don't patronize me." He glared at Klaus. "Now, I'm going to go ahead and call the cops and I don't want either one of you to move."

"Listen," Caroline took a hesitant step towards the guard. "My name is Elena Gilbert, and this is my partner Damon. We were hired to revamp the water tower to make it more visually appealing as cars came over the bridge."

"You're not on any work orders this week for that." He eyed her skeptically, as Caroline put on her biggest smile.

"Well," she struggled to elaborate on her lie, sputtering over her words. "WELL, that's because originally we were supposed to come next week but we had a spot come free today."

The guard narrowed his eyes and kinked his head to the side. "You're full of shit lady. You two stay right there."

"Ok!" Caroline held up her hands and nervously looked back at the water tower. "But you're going to have to get the other two up there."

She could hear the intake of Klaus breath behind her as she kept her attention on the guard and then back to the tower. The guard was hesitant but maneuvered around Klaus and Caroline's positions to walk to the tower and peer up the ladder. They inched their way to the door keeping their eyes on the guard and Klaus was finally able to see what Caroline had painted. It was a mad dash through the door and down the various flights of stairs, but even through their stumbling and laughter, they managed to make it down to the ground floor.

The vision of what he had seen across the water tower burned in Klaus's mind.

 **K + C** , and the beginnings of a slice of pie.

X-x-X

The lift to his studio was a tenuous journey, the hum of the excitement of their afternoon thrumming throughout their bodies. Before they could even reach the floor, Caroline had him pushed against the wall, her body encasing his in a fortress as she explored his lips, his jaw line, his collar beneath his ear. There was paint speckled across his skin, an array of colors the lead her in her journey of exploration. His hand had found her hip and the base of her neck as his fingers entwined around her curls in a tight promise as she continued her ministrations.

They stumbled along the hardwood floor, her top leaving her first as she gently fell against the exposed brick wall he pressed her against. Her fingers skimmed along the rim of his jeans dipping into the curves of his hips before pushing his shirt up along his torso and over his head. There was faint sheen of spray paint across various parts of their bodies as they explored each other, their tongues leading the way. Fumbling into the cramped bathroom, Caroline landed against the pedestal sink as sound of the snap of her jeans filled up the small space.

She giggled as they knocked over various bottles and supplies off of the sink as his hands explored the length of her body. Hooking a leg around him, she drew him closer to her as she worked her way through his jeans, pushing them down to the floor. Without breaking contact, he turned on the shower and pulled them in, the cold water hitting them and eliciting a gasp as they continued their frenzied journey across each other's skin.

Calloused palms danced across her chest and cool lips connected to her neck as her whispered name fell from his lips. There was a fervor between them this time that hadn't been there prior. Their soft moans and pants filled up the steam filled room quickly as they discovered more depths to their connection. His name tumbled out of her in a strangled gasp and she peppered his torso with kisses as they finished together against the cool tile of the wall.

Afterwards, they took great care in helping the other clean up. He gingerly lathered the shampoo in his hands through her long locks and trailed down her body with the wash cloth. She took the bubbles from his hair and made a beard on his face, laughing when he smushed his cheek against hers. With paint still covering most of his body, she rinsed off, leaving him to continue his clean up as she stepped out of the shower.

"The look of sheer terror and excitement on your face- "he grinned, dripping his head into the onslaught of water coming from the faucet, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Absolutely brilliant. Just, stunning."

"Your studio is a mess." She called out, fluffing her hair with the towel as she straightened up the various books on his desk. "How you even get work done in here is beyond me."

"You know, there's a place in North Charleston that would be perfect for some artwork. We could visit it one day after work on the restaurant."

Caroline beamed as she listened to Klaus continue his ramblings of her from the shower. It made her feel good to hear how exited he was, and how happy he could be with her. It wore at her; the inevitable conversation she would have to have with him. How could she remotely explain that he had given her so much life in just a few short weeks; that regardless of what came next, it was enough?

A stack of parchment paper sticking out from under a book caught her attention. Pulling piece by piece out slowly, her eyes skimmed across the charcoal markings on the pages, her mouth dropping open at the picture. It was her in various states; her laughter in the pillow fort, her grin with cake smeared across her lips, her silhouette against the ocean. They were all through his eyes and she was taken by how different and beautiful she looked through his eyes.

Her foot kicked another stack of books on the floor and she knelt down to pick them back up. On top was well-worn collection of various art and poetry books but at the bottom were a trio of seemingly new additions. Thumbing through the poetry book, she glanced down at the bottom of the pile frowning at the title. Dragging one from the stack she carefully read the spine and then the back, her heart constricting and falling all in one full swoop.

 _ **Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters Most in the End.**_

Grasping at the other two books she snatched them up.

 _ **Holding Space: on Loving, Dying, and Letting Go.**_

 _ **It's Ok that You're not Ok: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture that Doesn't Understand.**_

He knew.

Every fiber in her body told her to run; to drop the books in her hand, secure her jacket around her body, and walk away at that very instance. Instead, her fingers gripped the books so tight her knuckles turned white and she marched directly into the bathroom, the steam hitting her in a harsh welcome. A thousand questions rushed through her mind at once. How long had he known? Was this why he was being so nice to her? Is this what all the adventures were really about?

An internal battle raged on within her as he spoke from the shower.

"In case I didn't already say it enough, thank you for today. It's not something I'll easily forget."

Snatching the shower curtain back violently, Caroline threw one of the books in her hand at him. It hit his shoulder and fell into the basin of the tub with a dull thud. "What is this? Is this some kind of game? How could you?!"

"What are you doing?" he held his arms up as she threw another book that landed against his arms. "Caroline!"

"I trusted you!" she huffed taking a step back and then marching back up to him. "I cared about you! I cared about _**us**_! How could you do this?!" she slammed the last book on his chest and stormed out of the bathroom.

Grabbing her purse, she fumbled out of the studio, opting to take the stairs so she didn't have to wait on the elevator. Behind her she could hear him stumbling out of the shower, but she didn't slow her pace as she reached the gallery. Pausing briefly at his paintings, she focused on the red hurricane and swiped away at the tears that had started their march down her cheeks. Every moment, every touch and word had been nothing but a lie and a scheme; he had to have known this whole time.

"Caroline!" he called out after her just as she reached the exhibit housing the various paintings of the planets. He latched onto her arm but she jerked away spinning around to face him. "What the bloody hell is going on?"

"Why are you playing with me?" she shouted, ripping away from his grip and backing away from him. "This whole time, you've been doing what? How did you even find out? How long have you known?"

"Known what?" his breath was coming out in spurts both from exertion and anger. "Caroline, talk to me. I desperately wish you'd tell me what you're talking about."

"YOU KNOW!" she shoved him then, catching him off guard and he fell back into the painting of Saturn and sank to the floor. They both watched as it teetered and then fell next to him with a crack ripping in the corner. Gasping for air she sniffled through her tears and gave him a pointed look. "You know, Nik." Her voice was pained and ragged as she spoke. "You know I have cancer. It started in my ovaries and now…"

Choking on the rest of the words, she watched his lips part and his eyes flinch at the information she just supplied. He slumped against the wall, his head landing against the wall in resignation. The information was out there, out into the world and all the infinite and there was no turning back on them now. She cringed as his fist connected to the wall next to him, the drywall splintering out from the center in its wake.

"How come you have all those books about dying?" she cried, a harsh gulp sliding down her throat. Using the wall for support, he slid against it to stand up straight. "Why do you have those books?"

"They're mine. They're for _me_." The words seemed small in the large open space, but they quickly filled the room with suffocating implications. Caroline sucked in her breath, swiping away at the tears on her cheek. The words she understood but she couldn't quite connect them back to what he was saying. He ran his hand over his chest as he stared into her eyes. His voice was hoarse as he spoke and he had to clear his throat to continue. "It's in my chest; my PET scan lit up like a Christmas tree."

"Oh."

The word came out in a shuttered breath, a ravaging hollow left in its wake. How remarkably different that same sentence had felt coming out of her lips months prior when it was her own damnation that she had been condemned too. This was Klaus; he was bold and adventurous, so invincible. She focused on his chest; the memories of his strong heartbeat thumping against her as she had laid her head against his torso.

This couldn't be happening.

Without permission, her arms were reaching and her mind couldn't understand what she was trying to reach for. Balance, a lifeline, a hope? Everything inside of her was aching for a connection but the world around her felt empty. The painting of Saturn sat torn on the floor, a crack jutting across the infinite space, a cruel visual of everything churning inside of her. Just as she felt herself slipping into the abyss he had made the few short strides tugging her into his arms into a fierce grip, filling up the space.

"Oh, god." The devastation coursing through his words against her ear forced a new onslaught of tears and she clutched at the back of his shirt. She could feel the wince on his features, the stubble of his cheek buried against her neck, and finally as his fingers found their grasp in her hair, the tears against her skin as a reminder of all the pain ripping through him. " _Not you_."

Drawing back to look at him, she ached for a crooked smile and two dimples.

"What do we do?"

He kissed her because he wasn't sure of the words.

* * *

Okay!

So, I know there has been quite the debate leading up to this about what was going to happen to Caroline and now we have Klaus in the mix too. Honestly, at this point I don't know how I want it to end. I do know that there will be a lot of angst and heartache along the way.

Now, the inspiration from this story is from a movie called Griffin and Phoenix. A lot of the scenes I have written and will write are influenced by that movie; even some direct dialogue. If you haven't seen it, I think it's pretty great if you want to check it out.

I have also drawn on two real life events: One, was my father's own bout with bladder cancer which will be explored in later chapters. Secondly, I mentioned this before was a co worker of mine who developed stomach cancer and didn't tell anyone for months. So while some of this is written for angst and dramatic proposes, I am pulling from two very real experiences for me.

I hope that cleared some of your questions up. Leave me some feedback!


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks for reading! I'm slowly working on updates!

* * *

Chapter 15

 _3 years ago_

" _Oh."_

 _The word slipped out dull and lifeless from his lips as he gave the doctor in front of him a hard stare. He had been healthy his whole life; he worked out regularly at the gym, he didn't eat a lot of junk and if he were honest, the only true vice he had was vintage bourbon and a good steak every once in a while. Months of ignoring symptoms had culminated in too much of an annoyance to disregard any longer. He had a career that kept him busy, a blooming romance with a smart woman, and a small toddler to take care of. He didn't have the time for this._

" _I know this may seem overwhelming, but trust me Mr. Mikaelson, this is completely treatable. I see these cases often enough and the prognosis is good."_

 _The doctor in front of him was young and if he had to guess probably fresh out of med school. How many of these cases could he have actually seen? Shuffling the papers on his desk, he smoothed out his tie and Klaus was reminded of Elijah. His family; and how exactly was he going to tell them? There would no doubt be theatrics from the lot of them and needless worrying. He had a daughter now; his mortality had never been in sharper focus._

 _Klaus fixated his attention past the doctor as he continued on with his ramblings to the pristine Chicago skyline. Lake Michigan gleamed along the backdrop, a host of boats speckling the water's surface. Navy Pier was alive with activity as the Ferris wheel spun in a continuous loop. Logically, he knew this wasn't a death sentence. Every bit of research he had done, what the doctor was telling him, everything that he had prodded out of Kol; this was by no means an end._

 _The prospect of this being a wake-up call in his life however, seemed to terrify him more so._

 _He had opted to walk and catch the various subways home; basking in the hum of energy of people near him. He was suddenly very conscious of life, and to the core his own and those around him. The apartment he shared with his sister was dark when he entered later on that night. Rebekah was in the dining room, the only light on in the house over the table as she spread her books out across the surface._

" _Hey Nik." She greeted, her concentration not wavering from the notebook she continued to write in. He sank into the chair across from her and folded his hands together on top. After a few minutes she glanced up and then snapped her head back up with a frown once she was able to fully take him in. "What's wrong?"_

 _He had gone over all the scenarios in his head during his long trek home. He would be able to keep this from nearly everyone; Elijah would swoop in to try and be the savior, Kol a tyrant, and Hayley would be in hysterics with a toddler. But his sister he shared a home with and it was not any easy feat to withhold secrets from her on his best days. Frankly, he knew that the next few months would be tiring, and he would need her help._

" _I have news to share."_

" _Well get on with it then." She motioned with her hand impatiently. "I have an awful load of studying to do for this exam."_

 _He grasped her hand across the table and she peered at him with a serious look. "You have to swear you'll keep this between us."_

" _I swear-"_

" _Bekah, I mean it. You can't let Kol weasel it out of you or let Elijah guilt you into telling." He squeezed her fingers. "Promise me."_

 _She gulped and nodded, turning his hand to clasp their hand in a tighter embrace. "I promise. Nik, you're scaring me."_

 _It wasn't often that he faced fear as he had been a bit of a dare devil his entire life. He could only distinctly remember being terrified twice; once when Hayley told him she was pregnant and then again when the screaming bundle that was his whole heart was placed in his hands for the first time. It wasn't fear that gripped him now, but a festering hole of the inevitable in front of him. The sheen of unshed tears in his sister's eyes made this much more difficult._

" _I'm quite alright, sister." He promised. "But I have just a touch of cancer."_

" _You're a prat!" she screeched shoving his hand away from hers. "That's a naughty trick to play on me. I don't enjoy these games quite like you. That's more Kol's sport." She stood up abruptly and stomped into the kitchen slamming cabinets and dishes as she went._

" _It's in my bladder." He said, mimicking the clinical tone the doctor had used on him earlier. She stopped her moving around the kitchen and he could feel her presence once she was at the doorway staring at the back of his head. "It's a simple surgery. Just an overnight stay in fact. Then a round of chemo and I'll be bright as new to continue on with these games I so quite enjoy."_

" _You're serious." She sank into the chair next to his, her shoulders slumping. "Nik-"_

" _It's nothing I can't handle, sister." He cupped her cheek, memories of chasing her around the backyard as children and teaching her how to play piano coursing through his mind. "I'll be good as new in a few weeks. On a brighter note, you will have me at your mercy for the entirety."_

" _You're not invincible, you twit." She swiped at the rogue tear on her cheek. "You still haven't taken me to the Art Institute."_

" _All the more reason we just get past this."_

X-x-X

He couldn't be certain how long he had held Caroline against him surrounded by an array of planets. Her hair dried in his grasp, her tears never really subsiding. Their confessions were equal parts liberating and incarcerate in all the implications it brought with them. He had tugged her into his side and lead them back up to his studio and she had numbly went into the bathroom and sank into the tub without a word.

She remained there now, an endless loop of silence and sniffling, her head resting against the cool porcelain of the claw foot tub. Klaus opted to stay just outside, sitting next to the door his head leaning against the exposed bricks and his arm propped on his knee. His thoughts were a swirling mess from everything that had been unearthed in such a short amount of time.

Reflecting back on his confession to Rebekah so many years ago seemed almost effortless and easy comparatively. He had been guarding his secret from months now and he hadn't expected it to be reverberated back at him as one of Caroline's. It was devastating; hearing the words, calculating the possibilities, and submitting to the outcome. There hadn't been enough time.

A host of emotions had coursed through him once he had processed her words. Not much in his life had taken him by surprise; only twice had he been taken off guard. Hayley being pregnant wasn't a stretch considering the night they shared and finding out that his father didn't belong to him was nothing out of the ordinary when you factored in how much he despised Klaus. But the thought of Caroline; sweet and beautiful, full of light Caroline dying had gutted a deep fissure through his core.

Faced with his own mortality, he had been self-centered and full of relishing in any impulse he had. Quietly he had settled affairs and laid out plans and had contingencies for everyone involved. He had a timeline he was sticking to based on his prognosis to tell his family and his daughter to prepare them for what was to come. Caroline had been the one curveball, but he found it was an opportunity to discover something long lost within him, and to show her how much life had to offer her.

How cruel fate was the deal her the same wicked hand he had.

"We're incredibly selfish." Her words were whispered, her voice harsh and he rolled his head in her direction. He couldn't see her from his perch but directed his attention to her. "How long were we both going to allow this to go on and not tell the other? Were we just going to go off one day and forget about it all?"

He rolled his body across the threshold of the door and locked eyes with hers. "I could never forget you."

She scooted her knees closer to her chest and nodded to the space she created in an invitation. He took no hesitation, scrambling on all fours to stand up and step into the other side of the tub. He longed to touch her but waited until she reached out a tentative hand before latching on. It was only a split second before he was drawing her into him, her head resting on his chest.

"And why exactly are we in the tub."

"Once when I was a little girl, we came here during hurricane season; ended up taking cover in a bathtub for shelter. I find it comforting." Sniffling, she splayed her fingers across his chest. "This though, feels scarier somehow."

Listening to her explanation, he gingerly stroked her hair and she gripped at his shirt. "I hear the thrum of questions racing through you, love."

"Don't ask me how long. I don't want to know."

It was the one thought she had been circling back to all afternoon. She couldn't handle the thought of all the infinite that encompassed him and their time together to come to an end. The inevitability of it all was a guarantee; but she refused to put a bookend on them when there was so much more possibility still left.

He nodded against the top of her head, instinctively understanding. "This is my second foray into this."

"Second?" she parroted lifting up her head. He pushed the hair away from her face, focusing on the waves as they crashed along the crown of her head. It was painful to hear the hope in her voice.

"A few years ago, I had a bout with it. Easily managed and beat." He pursed his lips before kissing her forehead. "This time, it wasn't so kind."

"I found out the day we met." She admitted, a trickle of tears seeping down her cheeks. "I thought my life was ending that day, and then I met you."

Every piece of her life that she had put into a neat box of storage to pursue later had all come crumbling down that day in the doctor's office. Before, there was always more time; time to fall in love, time to get married and have family, time to live. And she wasn't enough of an idealist to think that her life had begun the day she had met Klaus, but she was optimistic enough to know that everything she had experienced with him had opened her small and shortened life to a host of possibilities.

"What didn't you say?"

"Why didn't you?" she countered, her brow furrowing violently in the center. "Are you wanting to be the pot or the kettle today?"

"I just assumed with you going on as if-"

"How dare I live my life, you mean?"

"No, love." He drew her back to him, even as she continued to pull away from his grasp. "I simply meant that you kept going on as if nothing happened."

"So!" the protest escaping his lips followed her hard stare. "I know what's happening to me. I thought I was just trying to _live_ my life."

"Caroline." He cupped her jaw, a new gleam of tears forming as he wiped away the tear rolling across her freckles. The harsh gulp he swallowed was audible in the small bathroom. "Sweetheart, I've been here with you for weeks. I know."

She tore her eyes into his, licking her bottom lip. "When were you going to tell me."

"I don't know." His jaw set in a hard line. "I haven't told anyone, in fact."

The bright eyes and smile of his small daughter flashed across her thoughts and she winced. Suddenly the desire was overwhelming to in fact know exactly how long they had but she couldn't find it in herself to ask. She was no better; she hadn't told a soul besides her goofy husky. Hours into this knowledge, and their confessions she couldn't begin to fathom the ripple effect, the devastation of telling the people that they both loved about their diagnosis.

"Did you tell them before?"

"I told Rebekah." He stated careful, the edge in his voice telling in a way that made Caroline think he wasn't keen on letting anyone know at all. "She was instrumental to the treatment of my illness then; the chemo made me very ill. It was her mission to help me. She reworked her entire school schedule, was there at every chemo appointment, made me soup and ran a cool washcloth over my neck when I was sick. More importantly, she never told. Sometimes, she gets a look about her when I sneeze the wrong way and I know she's remembering."

"You can't face that again." Caroline deducted from all the words he wasn't willing to admit. Running her hands through her hair, she fell against the opposite side of the tub releasing her breath. "How do I even begin to face that?"

"Why do you think I have the books I have? We find the right words."

"What words are there?" She scoffed, a lone tear settling at the corner of her eye. "What do I tell Stefan? Oh, your loss is threefold my friend; you'll probably luck out on a roommate because the house is awesome but you're totally out a best friend and business partner."

Her nose crinkled at the harsh words and she abruptly got up from the tub. Stepping out onto the tile, she spun around and rested against the pedestal sink, crossing her arms over her chest. Klaus remained in the tub, his face a mask of stone and fortitude as she listened to her rantings with earnest and attention.

"Oh Bonnie, I hope you'll enjoy the cheap bottle of wine that you'll bring to my 'celebration of life.' Sorry I won't be able to be your maid of honor when you eventually nail down Enzo. And my mother?" Gulping back a new onslaught of tears, Caroline swallowed back the large lump in her throat. "How do I tell a woman who is so brave and _strong_ , so much stronger than she should have ever had to be, that," she stumbled over the words. "-that she may never _breathe_ again?"

x-X-x

"Here you are, love."

Caroline gave a grateful smile as she took the cup of tea from Klaus. She resumed her attention to the window in front of her, the rain a steady flow against the pane. It was only a moment later that he was behind her, snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her against his chest. Tucking his chin into her shoulder, his fingers ghosted around the rim of her jeans a raging desire to engulf her as close as he could to him.

"Had you thought about when you were going to tell me?"

Closing her eyes for a moment, she gathered her thoughts. "So much about you was not planned that I don't know. I haven't even begun to wrap my head around how to tell everyone else."

"Well, I for one am pleased it was through book throwing and destruction of property." He smirked against her cheek, grateful at the smile that finally graced her features. "I would have it no other way."

"Will you tell me about the first time?"

Nodding gently, he pulled away and sank down in the overstuffed armchair he kept in his office. Caroline curled her torso into his chest as she sat on his lap and tucked her legs underneath her. It seemed silly to her, but the only thing she could think about was that he had this before and he had beat it. Hope had always been a fickle and sly thing, but for today it was all the wanted to latch onto. There had to be the possibility.

"It was in my bladder." He spoke softly at the crown of her head against his heart. "The surgery was easy and recovery was almost instant. Chemo was bloody awful. But then it was over. It had a high chance of recurring later on, but it's such an easy thing to combat. I was never worried about it."

Absentmindedly, he plucked his fingers through the strands of her hair.

"I remember being very concerned about my hair."

A laugh bubbled from her lips. "Of course, you would be vain."

"Less about vanity and more so to do with Hope." He chuckled, allowing his head to lull against the back of the arm chair. "She liked to stick her hands in my hair as she fell asleep. She would run her chubby little fingers around my curls and twist them together. I didn't want to disappoint her, if all my hair fell out from the chemo."

"How are you going to tell them now?"

A small and shaky breath released from his lips. "I've given it quite a bit of thought, actually. I keep playing the various scenarios and reactions of everyone and somehow it still always feels off. It's uncertain how they'll take the news of their seemingly invincible brother succumbing to something at boring and common as cancer."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Only you would describe cancer that way." Nestling her frame future into his torso, she toyed with the buttons of his shirt.

"I worry most about Hope. Do you think she'll ever understand what's happened?"

"I think," Caroline pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Kids are smart. They get things and understand a world that adults can't possibly. We adults think of death as awful and heartbreaking. Children have a natural tendency to rejoice. So, when she thinks of you, she'll think of her dad pushing her high on playground swings and having tea with her stuffed animals. She won't mourn you Nik. She will celebrate you."

"Did you want kids?"

"I wanted the choice." The question had caught her off guard. It wasn't a topic that had ever surfaced as the option wasn't present since the day she got the news of her cancer. " Yes. No. I mean, yes because I'm nurturing and I like taking care of people and it's the natural thing you do as a woman. No, I think because I like my life. I love Colby and my job and my friends. I don't want to give that up for kids. Or for dying for that matter. I just wanted the choice and now, I never will."

"You do brilliantly with Hope."

"Are there no options for you?" the small whisper that fell from her was barely a breath. It was dangerously close to line she had drawn in the sand for them earlier. "I mean-"

"Nothing substantial."

Blinking back the tears beginning to form in her eyes, she clutched his shirt and sunk deeper into his chest. "It's so funny, how things work out. The doctor thought it was cysts on my ovaries. He had the nerve to call it normal. I started losing weight, I thought it was stress with work. Then everything snowballed from there and by the time I got to a doctor that would listen to me when I told them that something was wrong, it was…" she trailed off, the words too late lumping in her throat. "There weren't many options left."

He murmured into the crown of her head, his lips brushing against her forehead. "We have the option of right now, love."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Well this is fun."

"Caroline."

Caroline rolled her eyes at Klaus' serious tone; his interest devoted the magazine in his hands. Slouching further down into the rigid hospital chair she patted her hand on his thigh. Three days post C-bomb, and things had fallen into a comfortable uncomfortable arrangement between them. They didn't acknowledge the inevitable, but it sat festering just below the surface anxiously awaiting its breaking point.

"Really, it's a damn Mardi Gras in here." Her attention focused on yet another nurse walking past their small waiting room. "How long are we going to wait for this doctor? We should just go do something; jump off Folly Pier or go sky diving or eat ice cream until we puke. Doesn't that sound like more fun than this?"

"On the contrary," he motioned to the pages he was perusing. "I am just about to discover the perfect bikini for my body type."

"Seriously." She snorted softly, lacing her fingers through his. "We can't have your boobs looking better than mine."

Unashamed he peaked down the dip in her blouse and smirked. "Not quite possible, love."

Caroline shuffled again in her seat but tried to relax as the squeeze of Klaus's fingers against hers. Everything about the waiting room they sat in was clinical and depressing; there wasn't a bright spot or splash of color anywhere. She couldn't argue or persuade him to not accompany her to the small tedious appointment and she wasn't finding much success into convincing him to bail now. Days into their dual confession and they had made no progress in regards to what came next.

She had always been the planner. It provided her structure and comfort but this was so vastly different than anything she had encountered. With her own illness it had been difficult; how did she process everything and get everything done and leave her loved one with some resemblance of a legacy to remember her by?

Now however, she could barely contain everything she had been struggling to hold. Every beat of his heart against her palm, every intake of breath, every touch of his hand was another reminder that there would come a day when it would be the last time. The fissure inside of her widened further every day that inched closer to the inevitable.

"This is exactly what I didn't want for us."

He gave her a curious glance as he closed the magazine. "Pardon me?"

"I mean," she released his hand and sat up straighter. "Two weeks ago, we were scuba diving in the ocean and making love in a pillow fort. Now, you're holding my hand while we wait for another stupid test that won't make any difference."

"Caroline-"

"I'm sorry." She shook her head softly and resumed her anxious twiddling next to him. "I stand by my assertion that we should still eat ice cream."

He pecked her pouted lip and she gifted him with a small smile. "You have to stop fidgeting, sweetheart." Fishing in his pocket he produced two fun size pieces of chocolate. "Here, this will help with all the piddling."

Furrowing her brow, she took the candy from him. "Where did you get these?"

"I may have pilfered them from the bowl at the nurse's station."

"I forgot how close it was to Halloween." She mused as she unwrapped one of the candies and took a bite. "Time feels different now."

"Growing up, my family liked to indulge themselves and their vanity every year with an outlandish Halloween party." He took the other half of the treat and plopped it into this mouth. He couldn't have agreed with her more on her thoughts on time, but wallowing in each other's self-indulgent sadness would do them no favors.

Latching onto his forearm with a fierce grip, she sat up straight in her chair. Her eyes were suddenly alight with happiness. "Did you dress up?!"

"For a few years, yes. Then I turned 8, and quickly grew weary of it." He chuckled as she swatted him playfully. "If it makes up for it, Hope has decided this year she wants to be the 'big bad wolf' with Kol accompanying her as Little Red Riding Hood."

"Oh my gosh." She snorted softly into his shoulder, an eruption of giggles coming from her. "That's perfect. I can't wait to see him in a dress."

"Kol is oddly content in most cross-dressing situations."

"You could be Santa Klaus!"

"Absolutely not." Klaus deadpanned even though he was secretly basking in the glow of her joy. She had laughed with and at him, and smiled in the days since their confession but the light hadn't reached her eyes quite like they were currently. He longed to be able to sketch such captivation, even with the weight of knowing the days, the moments he would be permitted to give her would dwindle with the thief of time.

"Oh come on! That's perfect!" she bit her lip, the blue of her eyes twinkling mischievously. "You would look so sexy in the red jacket-"

"Sweetheart…"

"Please!" she tugged on the lapels of his light jacket dramatically as she grinned. "Be my Santa Klaus! I may not even make it-"

The words died in her throat, the echo reverberating off the dull walls around them. Her mouth dropped ajar watching the lump travelling down to the base of his throat. Slowly, her fingers unfurled from his collar one by one until her hands trailed across his shoulder and down to this chest, placing some distance between them. He cupped her cheek then, latching onto one of her hands with his free one, coercing her to look at him.

"I mean, it's Christmas. It's so far away." She cleared her throat, the tears that threatened to spill dying behind her eyelids as she bucked up her resolve. "I could dress up as a sexy elf…"

The darkness that flashed behind his eyes was only there a moment before it had rectified itself.

"Much too tall to be an elf." He decided pecking the tip of her nose with his finger tip.

Before an utterance of a reply could be spoken, a nurse came in and called Caroline's name. He mustered up a smile as she gave him once last glance before following the nurse down the hall.

It was alone in the waiting room he allowed his mind the small indulgence of what short life he had left without Caroline meant.

X-x-X

"What do you think of this color?"

Caroline stepped back to glance between the two swatches of paint she had coated onto the bedroom wall. Colby lay on the floor beneath her, his fluffy tail swishing happily against her bare feet. She took a great deal of comfort knowing that eventually he would end up here, probably with her mother and that he would be content living out his days sunning next to the lake and chasing ducks around the water.

"I think," Klaus murmured slipping his arms around her waist from behind, "That the one on the right reminds me of that little coral birthmark you have just behind your knee. The one that shaped like tulip."

"You noticed that?" she asked, her head finding his chest, her hand entwining in his. He mumbled an incoherent agreement, burrowing his head into her hair and kissing her just below her ear. "My mom has the same one."

This week had seemingly been the longest of his entire life. The experience was so foreign; he had already lived through and beaten this once prior and yet the finality of this time made the occurrence that much more different. Their day spent in the hospital had brought everything front and center. As much as he fought it, he came to see Caroline differently. Not that his feelings had changed, but that this once strong fortitude of a woman was reduced to a weakness that she would inevitably succumb too. And he was powerless to help.

It didn't seem fair, or just.

Spinning in his arms, she looped her arms around his neck. "Speaking of my mother," she faltered, twisting her fingers at the top of his spine and tucking her face under her sea of curls. Sucking in her breath she tilted her head back up and squared her shoulders. "I, I have to go see her next weekend. It's a big thing that my home town throws every year for all the local first responders."

Before he could muster a reply, she had pulled away from him and continued her scrutiny of the wall behind her. He found relief in knowing that there was now a reason behind the urgency of fixing the small lake house but grew concerned with how much energy and focus was poured into task. He didn't bother her with platitude of reasoning; he had done nothing short of binging on his own sweet form of denial for the duration.

Time had crackled around him; a tour de force that prickled at him every chance it got. He marveled at the various points in his life where time didn't matter. Painting had always seemed to pull into a warp of space where time didn't exist. It was only a blink and he had a daughter who stood at his waist and rivaled his worst tantrums. And without wanting to acknowledge it, he knew that the time had come to tell his family and place the bookend of his life.

"I think you should go with the one on the left." He murmured, his fingers trailing along the small sliver of skin just above her cut off jeans. He picked up the rod connecting to the roller and dipped it into the tray of paint. "If you'll fetch us some tea, I'll have this done in no time."

"I have to tell her, don't I?" he may as well have heard the thought for how small her voice passed through her lips. He could imagine her then, a small child who had broken the cookie jar, lip quivering at the possibility of her mother knowing.

A shuddered breath from him and then,

"We have to tell them all."

He resigned to the outcome then. He could picture Elijah, stone faced and calm. The oldest and protector of their siblings would garner the small peak in his eyebrow, the only tell that would betray the despair of the knowledge. Kol would more than likely make a deprecating joke and then promptly drown in a neat scotch. He would later be found with red in his eyes, like Klaus had found him under the stairs after Henrik had died. Rebekah would be the egg that cracked first; a screeching banshee alternating between curses and declarations of love.

Behind them in their varying degrees of grief and understanding would be Hayley and his small daughter. He only knew Hayley as a ferocious mother, determined colleague. There was a grand respect for both those people in nearly equal measure. Finding it strange that they had worked together and raised a daughter together, he couldn't place a reaction for her. He felt she would react for Hope first and knew she would have the wisdom and grace to weather their daughter through it. There had always been tremendous gratitude for Hayley as his mother's daughter but it swelled in a way unfamiliar to him as he thought of their life past his.

Hope.

There seemed to be no less than half a million moments he would miss. Would she remember him as Elijah walked her down the aisle on her wedding day? Would she resent him for leaving her when her first boyfriend made her cry? Would she be relived of embarrassment when he didn't threaten her prom date? She was young, much too young to be dropped into the ocean of loss that would accompany his departure. How could he leave her and still convince her he could never leave?

"I'll go with you." The words were escaping from his throat before he had a chance to even process them. Part of it was pure selfishness; he knew he wouldn't be able to face his family without the possibility of seeking refuge in her arms. The other part, the more genuine part could feel how palpable her relief was at his offer. "I have to warn you however, I've never met any parents before."

"I've never told my parents I have cancer."

It was a quip that was meant to come off as light but she still winced as she spoke them. She was navigating in uncharted waters, and she didn't know if there would ever be more of a life raft than Klaus was at this moment. She would never be able to remove the stain of heartache her mother wore both times her father was taken from their life. It didn't seem fair that fate was handing her the same deal all over again; a hand she would never win.

"Do you think this will get easier?" her teeth sunk on her bottom lip as the words mulled in her head. "Don't answer that. We both know what it is." A deep sigh rattled in her chest before thieving through her mouth and she uncrossed her arms, her light grey cardigan swinging at her hips. Klaus settled into the silence with her as she worked through the thoughts whirling in her head.

He couldn't be certain, but he was sure that her strangled scream came first as her foot connected with the paint can in front of her, the contents splattering over the wall, the floor, her legs, his chest. It was an odd cacophony of sounds; her exasperation, the inking of thick paint, the crunching of tin-coated steel as the can bounced off the wall.

Wordlessly he ambled out of the room as she slowly, painfully released her clench palms, her fingers aching one by one as they felt the blood course back through them. There was a functional part of her brain that was in a panicked state looking on at the coral massacre in front of her. Yet, she remained rooted, transfixed and paralyzed with the anger coursing through her.

Klaus was back only moments later, two gallon buckets in one hand and a bucket of small quarts in the other. Neatly he set them up in various spacings about two feet from the wall, quickly popping off each lid with a screw driver. The pink-orange color covered him in a near comical way and Caroline hadn't quite deciphered what his intentions were. He jogged out of the room and was back almost instantly, the sledge hammer swinging at his side.

His grin was impossibly impish as he swirled the hammer once at his side and them smashed one of the quarts filled with a soft yellow. Caroline's hands flew up instinctively a squeal of surprise echoing off the walls of the empty room. She could feel the paint on her face and in her hair, but more importantly the small tremors that shook her from his body beside her from a laughter she found infectious.

He kissed her, the yellow and coral on their faces pasting their cheeks together, his fingers finding the curls of her hair. Handing over the hammer, he quirked an eyebrow in challenge and dropped the instrument in her palm. Bending over, as if teeing off, she lined up the hammer with a quart of lavender purple and hurled contents towards the wall a dizzyingly array of droplets landing every corner from the ceiling to the curve of his mouth.

Using his hand, Klaus scooped up a handful of paint the color of leaves in the first dawn of spring, looping it at the wall.

Another sigh, bubbled with relief instead of weighted with grief.


End file.
